The Lion Queen
by LadyCordeliaStuart
Summary: "I left to find help, and I found you." But what if she didn't? When Nala finds Simba unwilling to face his past, she finishes the job on her own.
1. Chapter 1

I didn't know what was happening, but it was very exciting. Mother was with me, and nothing would happen with her keeping me safe. My father was there too. I didn't see him as much. He was very busy, since he ran the pride. I usually only saw him on ceremony days or special occasions.

"Where are we going?" I asked my mother. She was so pretty. Most lions looked the same, but she was special. She looked like something was bothering her.

"You remember, Nala. You're going to do something very special. You remember that other pride who came here?" my mother asked.

"Yeah, I remember that," I said. I didn't remember much, since she was a tiny cub at the time. I sort of knew that another pride of lions was having trouble with a pack of wild dogs, and they'd come to my pride to warn them and ask for help. Some of the bigger lions went out to fight once in a while, and then the dogs were gone.

"We're friends now, right?" I said, eager to tell every bit she knew.

"That's right. We want to make sure we stay friends forever, so we're going to share families," my mother said. "You're going to go live with them, and they'll send someone to live with us."

"But what if I get lonely? I'll miss you," I said. It seemed so far away that I wasn't really scared, just curious.

"They're going to love you over there. You're very special, since you're a peace lion. You'll make new friends and probably marry their prince. And you don't have to worry about missing me. Our prides are neighbors. You'll see me and the rest of us every now and then on patrol," Mother said.

"Okay," I said, but I wasn't sure. It was hard to think about that when it was so exciting to go somewhere new.

"There they are," my father said. He raised his head and indicated a giant rock pointing at the sky. I looked closer and saw a cluster of lions sitting on top of it. More of them were gathered underneath it. When we got to the bottom of the rock, two of the lions came and walked with us to the top. It was a long way up, and Mother had to carry me over some of the bigger rocks.

When we got to the top, I noticed two other lions my age. One was squirming around behind a giant lion with the reddest mane I'd ever seen, and the other was sitting quietly to one side. I liked the first one better. He seemed fun.

" _Hey,"_ I whispered while the grown-ups talked.

 _"Hey,"_ he whispered back. Then the red lion interrupted us.

"Let us begin," he said. He had a really deep voice. My father nodded and a blue bird took over.

"On behalf of King Mufasa, we express our deepest gratitude for your heroic assistance against the jackal menace. We wish to acknowledge our ongoing friendship with the sacred bond of the blood link," he said. I didn't know what any of that meant. He was probably talking about the cub swap. "Do you accept?"

"We accept and reciprocate," my mother and father said together. "I, Queen Malki, present my daughter, Princess Nala." She nudged me forward and I stood in the space between the two lines of lions. I felt everyone staring at me and smiled in embarassment. A lioness stepped forward from the other pride.

"On behalf of the cub's father, I present my son, Prince Mtoto," she said. The lion cub sitting to one side came forward and sat by me. I noticed the tuft of fur on his head was dark. I'd never seen that before.

"May the sacred peace cubs be ever cherished and long may they live," the bird said. The red lion and my father both said they agreed. Mtoto and I looked at each other, not knowing what to do next, and then crossed over to the opposite sides.

"I am honored to call you family," the red lion said to my parents. "Our land is your land, and we hope to see you soon."

"Are you leaving now?" I piped up. Some of the lions glared at me, but the red lion didn't seem to mind.

"Yes, but remember, we'll never be far," my mother said. I ran across the line and rubbed my face on her leg.

"I don't want you to go," I said. Suddenly I was terrified, and I never wanted to leave her side. She sat down and wrapped her paw around me, licking my head and washing away the tears that were coming.

"Be brave, my little gift. I will always love you. I'm not going forever. This is your home now, but I'll always be your mother," she said. I sniffed and stood up. I licked her one last time and watched her go. She said I'd see her soon. That probably meant a few days. She grew smaller in the distance, and I felt more alone with each step.

The other cub came and sat beside me. He peeked at me out of the corner of my eye, but waited until my mother was gone to speak.

"Are you okay?" he asked. I didn't say anything.

"They'll be back soon. There were here _all the time_ while the jackals were still around," he said.

"Really?" I asked, and I looked up at him.

"Really," he said. He turned in a circle and showed himself off. "I'm Simba. _Prince_ Simba. My dad says since you're the peace lion, we're gonna be buds. I can show you all the cool stuff we got. And it's all mine," he said. His smile was so sure and confident I felt better right away. He darted to the edge of the rock and looked back over his shoulder at me. I barely knew him, but I could tell Simba was full of adventure. With him, the days would go by like minutes. I followed after him, and they did.


	2. My Mother From Another Pride

I had so much fun with Simba that I settled right into my new pride. At first no one knew where to put me. As old as the "peace lion" thing was, it hardly ever actually happened. It wouldn't be proper for me to sleep with Sarabi and Simba, since he was a boy. I wound up cycling around between all the lionesses with girl cubs. They were all very nice and treated me like a special guest, but I wished I had somewhere to stay.

There was one lioness I never stayed with. She always seemed to be off by herself. One day I saw her sitting at the edge of Pride Rock and looking at something off in the distance. I stopped wrestling Simba and flicked my ears at her.

"Who's that?" I asked. He brushed himself off and tried to sound serious.

"Oh, that's Sarafina. She's always sad," he said.

"How come?" I asked.

"Her cubs died. They just all got sick or something and they died in one day," he said. I scrunched closer to the ground in sympathy.

"That's too bad," I said. Before long we were playing again, but it kept pricking the back of my mind. I'd feel terrible if my mother died. It must be the same for a mother who lost her cubs, especially more than one.

That evening, as the sun was setting, I slipped away while Simba was unwillingly taking a bath. It took me a while to find Sarafina. I finally saw her lying in the shadow of a skinny tree by the watering hole. Her head was on her paws and her tail was curled limply around her body. I walked up next to her.

"Hey, you're always by yourself. Don't you get lonely?" I asked. She looked up to see who it was, and she seemed sad when she saw it was me. She didn't get up.

"I'm always lonely," she said.

"Yeah, I heard about what happened to your cubs. I'm sorry," I said. She curled her tail tighter and looked into the sunset.

"I get lonely too sometimes, since I don't get to see my mother very much," I continued. "If you want, I can stay with you sometimes. I can be your pretend cub, and you can be my new-pride mother."

Sarafina seemed happier right away. She cried a little bit, but it was happy crying. She scooped me up next to her with my paw and licked my head. I snuggled into her fur and she felt just like my real mother. I was the luckiest cub in the world. I got _two_ mothers.


	3. Brand New Day

Boy, were we in trouble. Looking back, I didn't know what we were thinking. Mufasa told us we could play anywhere in the whole kingdom. As far as we could see was all our playground. So where did we go? The one place he told us not to go. We could have _died._ That hyena would have gobbled me up if Simba hadn't swiped her. He was always there when I needed him. But I shouldn't have needed him. Boy, were we dumb.

I didn't talk to Simba until the next day. Mufasa sent me home with Zazu and I could tell he was going to get an earful. I hated it when people watched me get in trouble, and there was no way I was going to do that to Simba. I laid low with Mom until the next day. Even after that, I avoided Mufasa for a week. He wasn't even mad- he was just so _big._ He looked at you and you just knew he saw right through you. I didn't know how Simba got away with anything. I was sure he was a cool dad, but he was still scary.

The day after the "event", I crept to Simba's den and peeked in. Mufasa and Sarabi were still sleeping, and Simba was lazing next to them.

"Psst," I whispered. "You still in trouble?" He rolled over and grinned.

"Nah, we're cool," he said. "Dad's cool."

"Then wanna come out and play?" I asked. He jumped out at me and we wrestled all the way down Pride Rock. I won, of course. I always won. Simba thought he was so cool- and usually he was- but he never beat me in wrestling. We stopped at the bottom of the rocks to gnaw on some leftover wildebeest bones.

"That was a really bad idea and let's never do it again. But... it was really cool when you smacked that hyena right in her face," I said.

"Yeah, it sort of was. Once I'm bigger, I'll do it again, but only if I have to. I kind of hope I have to at least once," Simba said. He cracked a bone and half and licked at the marrow. He said it was the best part, but I knew he just wanted to break the bones and hear the noisy crack.

"Maybe something really cool will happen, like those jackals will come back. Then we can fight them," I said. We ate some more, and I noticed something.

"Hey, how come your uncle Scar never sleeps with the rest of you?" I asked. I hardly ever saw him around at night, either. Simba scrunched his face.

"I dunno. He's weird sometimes," he said.

"He must have been really worried when he found out what happened," I said. He _told_ us not to go to the Elephant Graveyard, but he was still the one who told us it was there in the first place. He was probably really sorry, even if it wasn't his fault.

"I didn't want to tell anyone, since I got in trouble, but he must have figured it out. He took it really well. Said we probably weren't in much danger, since hyenas are brainless slobs who can't to anything right," Simba said.

 _Scar_ is _weird,_ I thought. _I'd be worried sick if I heard Simba got into trouble. Why would he even tell us about someplace so dangerous, anyway? We're stupid cubs. It was asking for trouble._ He never seemed to fit in with the other lions. Maybe if he wasn't so crabby they wouldn't avoid him.

It all seemed to blow over pretty quick. Three days later, it was like it never happened. Simba even seemed a little more mature after it all. Probably his dad rubbed off on him. I was just getting out of bed when Paka walked up to me. She was pretty nice. She let me play hunt her catches before she killed them.

"Nala! Mufasa said there are some hyenas in the area-" I folded my ears and looked down guiltily- "so I'm going to go warn your pride. Want to come? You can visit your mother," she said. That perked me right back up.

"Yeah! I'll go tell Simba," I said. Paka left too, probably to find Mom. Sarafina never came along on these things. She wanted to let my first mother have me all to herself. I found Simba at the watering hole.

"Hey Simba, I'm going to visit my mom. Try not to get lonely," I said.

"Don't worry, I already had plans anyway," Simba said with mock aloofness.

"What, you learning manners from Zazu again?" I asked.

"No, I'm going to the gorge with Uncle Scar. He says he's going to show me something _really cool._ It's probably something only princes can see," he said. I pulled a silly face.

"Well have fun, your _majesty,"_ I said. "See you tomorrow."


	4. Newberry

Mom always had to give me a bath when I visited. It never changed anything, since Sarafina always bathed me before I went so I'd look "presentable". Mom always took _forever,_ too. Once she was done she'd hold me next to her and snuggle for ages. Of course I liked it, though. After that we pretty much did whatever we wanted. I liked to play fight with her. Whenever I attacked she would dramatically cry out and throw herself down like I'd slain her.

I usually stayed overnight, so I was surprised when I saw Tarishi running toward us as the sun was setting. She was our messenger, since she was the fastest, and she sure looked like she had something important to say. She ran straight for my mother and didn't seem to notice me. She was panting as she talked.

"I'm sorry. We have to take Paka home. There's been an accident," she said. Something was really wrong. The way Mom reacted was scaring me. She leapt to her feet.

"She's by the banyon tree," she said. They both took off running as fast as they could go. I ran after them, desperately trying to keep up.

"What happened?" I asked. It sounded so bad I couldn't imagine. Whatever they said couldn't be as bad as not knowing. But they didn't seem to hear me. They were talking to each other. I strained forward and pricked my ears.

"The gorge-" Tarishi said. My heart leapt and I stumbled. _Simba_ was in the gorge.

"What about Simba?" I asked. Mom and Paka reached the tree ahead of me. Paka was already getting up.

"Tarishi? What are you-" she started, stopping when she saw her face. Tarishi whispered something to her and she gasped.

"I'm sorry. We have to go," Paka said to Mom. She and Tarishi started to run away and I knew I couldn't keep up.

"Wait! I want to go!" I yelled after them. They paused and looked at Mom.

"You don't have to go, Nala. It's okay," Mom said. She tried to scoop me close and I jumped away.

"No! I have to find Simba!" I said. I was crying and silently begging the others to let me come. Everything was so wrong I didn't know what to do. Mom nodded, and Paka picked me up in her mouth. She started to run.

When we got back to Pride Rock, it looked even worse than I thought. All the lions were gathered in clusters whispering, and they were all crouched down close to the ground with their tails tight around them. I thought Simba would be with Sarabi, but she was all alone. She was pressed against the highest point of Pride rock, and she was crying out over and over. Scar was talking with some of Mufasa's advisors. When Paka set me down, I ran to where the other cubs were gathered.

"What's going on?" I asked them.

"Simba's dead," Msasi said. He was always telling tales, but this time it might be real.

"He is _not!"_ Mwali said. She flattened her ears at Msasi. "You're just trying to scare us."

"That's what Scar said. He said Mufasa's dead too. That's why Sarabi is crying," Msasi insisted. I tried to shove it away, but it all came together. Tarishi came in the night to get Paka. They came so fast they carried me. Sarabi was crying, and everyone was scared.

"It's true," I whispered. But it couldn't be. Nothing could kill Mufasa. He was the strongest lion in the world. He was always going to be there. And Simba couldn't be dead. Antelopes died. Zebras died. Friends didn't die. Simba was too young to die. He was too smart, too. He would have gotten away somehow. I scrunched against the ground and tucked against myself as the others kept talking.

"I heard Zazu talking to the grownups," Teli said. "He said there was a stampede, and Simba got caught. Mufasa went to get him, but it was too big."

"No! They must have just gotten hurt. They'll be back," Mwali said. She started to cry, and I wanted to cry with her. I felt empty inside, like my stomach was inside out. _Simba's dead_ kept blinking in my head, and it was like hearing it the first time again and again.

I ran away from the other cubs and looked for Mom. She was talking with the other grownups, but she stopped when she saw me.

"Mom!" I cried out. I ran to her and buried my face in her side. She curled around me and I hid under her like a little baby.

"It's not true, right? Simba's okay?" I asked. She didn't say anything, and she looked so sad. She just held me tight.

"Look, Scar," someone said. We looked up and saw him perched on the tip of Pride Rock. _He's going to say something,_ I thought. He was going to tell us Simba was okay.

"Mufasa's death-" I didn't hear what came next. Mom was shaking and some of the lions started to cry. It couldn't be. Grownups were strong. They never cried. But Mufasa was the strongest of all, and he was dead. I thought grownups knew everything. They couldn't even protect themselves. I trembled under Mom as he went on. Zazu was in front of me, and he was shaking too. I'd never seen Zazu shake.

"But to lose Simba, who had barely begun to live-" Scar saying it made it true. The tears came and I laid my head down on my paws. I pressed against Mom, seeking out the comfort she couldn't give. Mufasa wasn't strong. Grownups couldn't always win. Simba was dead. Nothing would ever be right again.


	5. Prima Noctis

I wasn't wrong. Nothing was right after that. Scar- he wanted us to call him King Scar, but I never did unless he was talking right at me- let the hyenas in. He said it was for "protection", but I knew what hyenas were. The first time I saw them streaming over Pride Rock, I thought they were coming back for me. I saw the slash in one's cheek and knew her right away. Scar called in the same hyena that almost killed me. Every time I looked at her, I remembered Simba. I tried to tell him about her, but he said she was "reformed". At first I thought he was just naive. As the years went by, I realized he just didn't care. Shenzi and I glared at each other whenever we crossed paths, daring the other to start something.

At first I had a lot to work through about Simba. Losing him showed me that anyone could die at any time. Maybe one of my mothers would be next, or maybe one day I'd die just as suddenly. Sometimes I felt guilty that I wasn't there to save him, and sometimes I felt guilty that I was happy it wasn't me. Through it all, I started to hate "King" Scar. He was there, too. Why didn't he help Simba? He couldn't take care of one cub, much less a kingdom.

He did a real great job with the kingdom, too. He let the hyenas eat, but he never made them hunt. They were just for protection. We ran ourselves ragged trying to keep the pride fed. I was barely half-grown when I started helping with the hunts. Before long, we ran out of the weak and sick prey we usually targeted. We had to go after the strong and healthy, putting ourselves in danger and thinning the herds far too much. Even the weather turned cold. It never rained, but it was always cloudy. The plants grew weak and the prey grew even thinner. It was like the very Circle of Life rejected Scar.

I thought I was just one of the pride to him, but then things got worse. It started when Scar called me in for a "special audience". I reported to his cave and saw Zazu still stuck in his bony prison. I wondered if he ever got to stretch his wings.

"Good morning, Nala," he said as politely as ever. He may have been sad, but he never dropped his manners.

"Hey Zazu," I said. Scar materialized out of the back of his cave before we could go on. He always slunk like a shadow, even when he was ruler of all the Pridelands. When Mufasa smiled, everything around him glowed brighter. Scar's smile drained the light from the cave. He sidled up next to me.

"Why, Nala, how pleasant to see you," he said. He even sounded different from the rest of us, like he was from somewhere far away. His voice was thin and sickly.

"What do you want?" I asked. _Let's just get this over with._

"It's a most _private_ matter," he said as he brushed past me, forcing me closer to the wall of his den. "Shall we go somewhere quieter?" Zazu ruffled his feathers sympathetically as we left. Scar led me out onto the savannah, stopping by a collection of mazelike rocks.

"What's wrong, did we finally run out of food?" I asked in derision when he finally stopped. He stayed far too close to me and tapped me with his tail in a faux-friendly gesture.

"You're always so responsible," he said. "Just like your mother." What was he getting at? And he could leave my mother out of this.

"She's a queen, isn't she? That makes you a princess. And you _do_ look like a princess," he said. He flicked his eyes over me and I felt dirtier afterward. When did he start looking at me like that? Back when I was a cub and he was already grown? No wonder I never liked him.

"Thanks," I said flatly. He seemed to get oilier with every word. He kept inching closer to me, and I wanted to brush him away.

"It's lonely at the top, Nala. Surely you would understand that. The others see it, too. They see their king alone as he rules. They need a queen. _I_ need a queen," he said. His eyes filled with faux sadness and he reached out his tail like he was searching for comfort. He draped it over my back and it felt like a snake waiting to squeeze the life from me. I felt dirty inside as I realized what he was thinking. I was still half-grown. He shouldn't have been looking at me like that. Did I look that enticing? I didn't mean to tempt anyone. Were they all looking at me like that? I wished I could cover myself and disappear.

"I'm sure you could have anyone in the pride," I said. I steadfastly refused to show that I knew what he was talking about. It was wrong in so many ways. I was betrothed to his dead cousin. I was half his age. I wasn't even grown yet. And I hated him.

"I know it's hard to think about. I still mourn Simba, too. But don't be too hasty. It can be lonely for a single lion. Even lonelier if she doesn't have a pride," he said. His voice snapped hard for a second before it softened back to its cloying sweetness. "You won't find anyone better than me."

"Pardon me if I try," I said. I turned and started to walk away. My stomach was churning and my mind rebelled at Scar's intentions. I didn't know why he would think things like that. Something was horribly wrong with him, and I feared for all the girl cubs in the pride. I was afraid he'd follow after, and I didn't know what I could have done if he had, but he stayed behind, watching me. His smile seemed patient, like it was only a matter of time.


	6. Scar Gets Creepy

Things only got worse. I endured a year of Scar's insinuations and barely-hidden leers. Sometimes he was busy pretending to run the kingdom or fending off unrest, and I did my best to be out hunting whenever he came around. It was getting harder to keep up that excuse, though. There just wasn't any prey left. Anything that had the strength left for greener pastures, and we slowly began to starve. Of course, Scar always had plenty. He tempted me with his ill-gotten bounty and told me all the splendor I'd have with him. My only shield was his shreds of self-righteous propriety. He couldn't force anything or even explicity suggest it yet. I was still underage, but I wouldn't be for long. I found myself dreading my upcoming birthday. I should have looked forward to my first day as an adult lion, but to me it was nothing but a nightmare.

Sarafina tried to get me to leave. She said there was no sense in me staying here and that I should go back to my first pride. She said it would look bad if I died and it might start a war. I knew she just wanted the best for her daughter, and I could tell she never wanted me to leave her. And of course I couldn't. This pride was my home, and I couldn't leave when things went bad. Even if I'd wanted to, Scar had the hyenas patrolling the Prideland borders day and night. I hadn't seen my mother since the day Simba died.

One day we managed to bring down a pathetically thin zebra. We gathered around the meat ravenously, and Scar pushed his way to the front. He seated himself by the choicest selection- the rump- and I took my place at the head, as far away as I could get. It was no use, since he tore off a hunk of meat and moved up next to me. The meat soured in my mouth as he settled beside me. Some of the other lionesses noticed and glanced our way. I wondered if they were judging me, but they just seemed interested. I felt like the meat he'd claimed as his own. I ate as quickly as I could and excused myself early.

I wandered to the watering hole and took a drink to clear the smell of Scar from my mouth. Mwali followed me and sat next to the water.

"What's with Scar? He's _always_ staring at you," she said. I folded my tail beside me.

"You know about that?" I asked.

"Nala, everyone knows about that. They're saying he wants you as a mate," she said.

"Yeah, he does. He's been bothering me for ages," I admitted. I was worried she'd tell me I was bad for being so tempting when I wasn't even old enough for that stuff. She did get mad, but it wasn't what I expected.

"What? How long?" she asked. She jumped up and flicked her tail back and forth. She looked over her shoulder and glared at him in the distance.

"About three months, maybe. It seems like forever," I said. "I wish he'd leave me alone."

"That's _disgusting!_ You were just a cub and he's old! Dirty pervert," she said. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought I did something wrong," I said. I hadn't planned to ever tell anyone, but now that I had, it felt amazing. I felt free as a bird.

" _He's_ the one leering at cubs. You didn't do anything wrong," Mwali said. As soon as she said it I realized how obvious it all was. I'd always known something was wrong about Scar. He drove our Pride into the ground and lorded over us like he was the greatest thing on Earth. I should have known I wasn't the bad guy. I smiled like I was a carefree cub again.

"You are so right. He's just nasty. I'm glad I told you," I said. Mwali paced and sent dirty looks at Scar.

"We should gather up all the lionesses and run him off," she said. I gasped and looked around to see if anyone could hear.

"Shh! We'll get in trouble!" I said. I was glad she was willing, but I didn't want anyone else to get hurt.

"So what? Things can't get any worse," she said. It was hard to argue with that. "I won't let him give you any more trouble."

"All right," I said. "I'll talk to him and tell him to knock it off. He knows he can have any lioness he wants, and _all_ of them if that's how he wants it. He'll think I'm an ungrateful cub and he'll stop 'favoring' me to teach me a lesson," I said.

Mwali was unconvinced. She furrowed her face. "What if he tries something?" she asked.

"He's too proper. Besides, he can't _make_ me choose him for a mate. He could have his hyenas trap me, but that would look terrible. He has enough trouble keeping the Pride in check," I said.

"I'll come with you," Mwali said.

"No!" I said. Mwali jumped. "I can go alone. I mean..." I looked down and embarrassment washed over me. "I don't want you to hear the way he talks to me." Mwali wrapped her tail over my back and pressed close to me.

"Okay. But I'll be waiting. Remember, he's the bad guy. Not you," she said. I knew she'd always be there for me, and that alone made things better.

Part of me wanted to wait until the other lionesses were in their dens to talk to Scar. I wanted to be alone, but then, I didn't want to be _too_ alone. Scar was unpredictable and drunk with power. Anything could happen, even if I assured Mwali it couldn't. Most of all, I wanted it to be over with.


	7. Screw This I'm Out

I walked back to the zebra. Most of its sparse flesh was already gone. Some of the lionesses gnawed at its marrow and Scar was pulling the last of the meat from its bones. I braced myself as I approached.

"Scar? I need to tell you something," I said before I could lose my nerve. Scar seemed annoyed at the interruption, but when he saw who it was, his honeyed smile returned.

"For you, my dear, anything," he said. He stayed beside me as I withdrew to a more private stretch of grass. I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to say, and I tried to formulate my thoughts as we went. Scar's attempts at polite conversation distracted me, though.

"Why, Nala, it's almost your birthday, isn't it?" he said, as though he was realizing it for the first time and hadn't been counting the days. "I suppose you'll be wanting to start a family soon. Any thoughts on the lucky cat?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," I said. _That's right,_ I told myself. _Tell him to leave you alone. He can't make you choose him, even if he is the "king"._ Suddenly it seemed later than it was. We'd caught the zebra shortly after noon and it had taken a while to gather everyone and eat. It wasn't near dusk yet, but the sun was starting to dip lower in the sky. It cast a sinister shadow over the affair.

"It's your choice, of course, but I hope you know how privileged you are," Scar said. "You could have anyone in the pride. You could even be queen, if you wanted..." His green eyes glittered as he watched for my reaction.

"I don't," I blurted. Scar drew back with more surprise than anything else. Disgust welled up in me as I processed his reaction. He wasn't angry that I defied his will or embarassed that he'd been rejected. He was _surprised I didn't want him._ I struggled to fathom the depths of his arrogance.

"What?" He said. The simpering warmth drained from his voice and left it as it truly was: cold as stone and pointed as a thorn. His eyes hardened along with his words.

"I _haven't_ thought about who I want as a mate. But I know this much. I don't want you," I said. The words almost flew out of me, like they couldn't be held back a moment longer. I tensed my muscles and held my tail in a stiff arc. The air sizzled around Scar as he grew still with rage.

"Don't be so hasty, Nala," he hissed. "Do you have any idea what you're giving up? Haven't I been a gracious ruler?" He took a step closer, and I backed away reflexively. I looked over my shoulder to see if anything blocked my escape. There was nothing but grass as far as I could see, but that meant no witnesses as well.

"You can have any of us. Go take one of them," I said. He kept advancing, and I maintained the distance between us. My claws slid out unbidden and I readied myself in case I needed to run.

"Ungrateful child," Scar spat. "I offer you everything and you throw it away?" He stopped and sat back on his haunches. He tilted his head and looked at me like nothing else but prey. "I don't _have_ to give you a choice, Nala."

"You can't force me to choose you," I said. His wicked smile only grew wider.

"I am the king. I can do whatever I want," he said, and he sprang at me like lightning. He landed on top of me, knocking me sideways off my feet. He tried to pin me down as I wriggled underneath him. My claws dug into the ground as I struggled to pull forward. He pressed his nose into the back of my neck and positioned his legs on either side of me.

"You should be _flattered,_ Nala," he purred, drawing out the word. "Out of everything in the Pridelands, I desire you. And I shall have you," he said. He clenched my neck fur in his teeth and tried to haul me up. Before, I would have been terrified. I knew what he wanted and I'd been dreading it for so long. But I was done being afraid and I had nothing left to lose. He wasn't my king, and I couldn't respect him less. All the rage I should have felt all along rose up in me at once, and it gave me strength. I rolled underneath him, losing a chunk of fur as I did. When I was on my back facing up at him, I kicked both legs into his stomach, like I'd done with Simba so long ago. The blow knocked him tail over head and he tumbled into the grass in front of my head. While he was still in the air, I turned over and started to run.

I looked over my shoulder as Scar was picking himself up. I had a head start and I was lean from daily hunts. Scar barely left Pride Rock, and running was so terribly undignified. He gathered himself as he rose, like he'd meant to fall on his face. He just watched me go. No doubt he thought I'd crawl back when I was hungry enough, or when it was dark and I grew lonely. But he was wrong. The savannah stretched before me and I felt freer with each step I ran. I was like the wind, blowing far away where no one could touch me. Something had snapped inside me, and I felt the Pridelands fading away in the distance. Unknown discoveries lay before me, and most of all, Scar's absence grew sweeter every moment. I was running, and I never wanted to stop.


	8. On the Move

The sun was almost gone when I stopped running. I was far from the border of the Pridelands, far enough that Scar couldn't find me, even if he sent his hyena cronies. I sat in the tall, waving grass and looked back behind me. My first impulse was to go back to my mother's pride, but I hesitated. Surely that's where Scar would expect me to go. He'd have patrols waiting to find me and bring me back, like I wandered away and got lost. If any lions from my mother's pride were nearby they'd help me, but I didn't want to give them any trouble. For the moment, I was on my own.

I'd never been so far away from other lions before. As the sky grew darker, I wondered what they were doing and if they'd missed me yet. Mwali was probably worried sick, and I felt guilty that I'd run off without telling her. My guilt turned to sickness when I realized Scar might tell everyone I was dead. Mother already lost her cubs once, and I only hoped Mwali would know what really happened and ease her grief.

The savannah seemed barren and empty without Pride Rock and the trees around it. I was a lion, and lions lived in prides. By myself, I was just one small animal in an endless plain. The grass and sky dwarfed me and I caught myself looking around for the friends that weren't there. I couldn't imagine life without them.

I felt less alone when I started to move again. I didn't know where I was going, but it felt like as long as I kept moving, I'd get there eventually. With every step I took away from the Pridelands, it was like watching the earth heal. Pride Rock was surrounded by barren dirt and sickly grass, but beyond that, the plants were green and the sky was bright. A cape buffalo moved in the distance and I reacted immediately, tensing to spring at it with the others, but there was no one there. Back home, a sight like that would have brought elation, but here, it seemed normal. By my standards, the land was teeming with food.

I sat back to plan. _What comes next?_ I couldn't hunt a buffalo on my own, but I could keep myself fed. But what for? To be a lone lion forever, cut off from my family and pride? Even if I could bear the loneliness, I couldn't leave my friends to that life. What if I could help them? On my own, I couldn't fight Scar and the others. But there were more than two prides on the savannah, and I most likely wasn't the only lone lion. I could find some of the others and bring back help for my pride. If my pride helped my mother's with the wild dogs, someone else might be willing to help us. I only had to find them.

Just having a plan made the loneliness fade. Darkness fell, and my eyes sharpened with it. I crept through the grass, looking for prey. Hunting alone was new and exciting. It was a challenge I'd never experienced and I grew exhilerated as I stalked. My worries faded as I focused on the hunt, and my senses strained for the slightest warning. I heard a faint scrape and followed the sound. When I reached the source, I saw an anthill faintly outlined against the dark sky. An aardvark was perched on it, poking its tongue into the entrance. I inched forward, pressed down against the ground. Grass slid against my belly and I shifted my weight evenly to dull the sound. When I was almost on top of my prey, I pounced. I landed heavily on the aardvark and broke its neck with one bite before it could struggle. Its warm blood flooded my mouth and I savored it. It was wonderfully indulgent to have the entire animal to myself. I ate the entire thing- the good meat, the tough meat, and the succulent bones. I didn't have to wait for anyone. By myself, I was the alpha lion, and I could take care of myself.

I walked a long time after I was done. Prides were expansive and often reclusive. It was unusual for two prides to be as close to each other as mine and my mother's were. I had a long journey ahead, and it was both daunting and pleasing. I wasn't used to solitude and it bothered me, but the quiet night around me was peaceful. Without Scar and his helpers around, there wasn't much I couldn't handle. I was a lioness, and I was the top of the food chain.

When I saw a single slender tree ahead of me, I decided to take a break. The savannah was so empty it was like a single companion, and I rested under its leaves. The wind rustled the greenery and I welcomed the noise. The sun was about to rise, and I'd walked all night. I was tired and ready to stop.

There was a lot to think about before I got to sleep. I started to worry about Mother and Mwali, but there was no reason for Scar to punish them. His only motivation would be to hurt me, and I wasn't there. He was probably just starting to realize I wasn't coming back. Possibly he'd send some parties after me, but I was much too far away for them to find. If he wasn't so vain, I'd have worried he'd find someone else to bother, but that wasn't like him. More likely he'd declare every other lioness "unworthy" and remain alone in a bizarre attempt to spite me.

As I watched the sun come up, it was like the world was getting reborn. Just yesterday, everything was different. I felt older and wiser, even though it had only been a few hours. I felt freer and more scared. I was lonely, but there were lions I was glad to be away from. I didn't know what the next day help, but I was ready to keep moving.


	9. What the What?

The days were quiet and the nights stretched on. They blended together, and it must have been day ten or so when the land started to change. The grass started to grow thin again, and the ground was flat and cracked. If it had gone on like that I would have switched directions, but I saw a bunch of lush trees on the horizon. Their closeness appealed to me, even though the Pridelands were wide and open. I felt exposed on my own, and the deep forest was like a hiding place. There probably wasn't another pride in there. It was too small for a large group and the forest was no place for a pride. I might find another lone lion, though. It was just the sort of place lions like us would end up. If there weren't any lions, there would at least be a lot of prey.

The parched ground burned my paws as I walked over it. As I went, I tried to imagine what I would even say if I met anyone. _Hello. Want to fight a bunch of hyenas to help a bunch of lions you've never met?_ It didn't make any sense. If it was a smaller pride, I might be able to convince them we could merge, but then they wouldn't be large enough to fight Scar. It was all a long time in the future. I had to focus on the present. I reached the edge of the trees, and it was nothing like I'd expected.

The forest went on forever. The trees I'd seen were just the edge of a cliff that dropped into a sweeping valley filled with greenery. A waterfall led into a river that snaked through the entire thing, and as far as I could see there were more trees. It was gorgeous, and it was like nothing we had back in the Pridelands. Simba and I used to play in some trees, but they were nothing compared to this. Mists rose from the cool water and birds dotted the air. If I wasn't a lion, or if lions weren't made to live on the savannah, it would have been paradise. Even as it was, I couldn't imagine growing tired of it.

I slipped into the trees and they closed around me like a protective wall. The shade cooled my fur and the damp ground soothed my cracked paws. The treetops were alive with noise and movement. The calming atmosphere let me realize how weary I was, and I spent the first night curled up under a tree covered in sweet-smelling flowers. I woke up the next afternoon refreshed and energized, and I was ready to hunt.

It hardly took a minute to find some prey. A plump warthog was dancing around in a patch of tall grass at the edge of the forest. He looked like he didn't have a care in the world, suggesting that I was indeed the only lion around. I crouched low and shifted my shoulders as I honed in on him. The instant before I would have pounced, he saw me and shrieked. He turned and bolted back into the forest, and I darted after him with a roar. He was fat and slow, and I quickly started to catch up to him. I chased him up and around a wide tree trunk and hit the ground inches from his rump. He found a second wind and pulled a few feet ahead of me, but then he ran under a root and wedged himself in. As I barreled toward him, a random meerkat ran in and tried to push him out. It was too crazy to even think about, so I ignored him. He couldn't stop me anyway.

I was five feet from the pair of them when another lion jumped at me head-on. I dug my claws into the ground and yanked myself to a stop. He landed on me and bowled me over onto my back. I jammed my paw against his neck to stop him from biting me. I'd wanted to find another lion, but not like this. He looked _furious,_ and his claws were out when I reared up to fight back. I clawed him across the face and he tried to bite my head. We circled around each other, snarling and roaring as we fought. He was bigger and his mane made it impossible to go for his throat, but he fought like it was his first time. He was hesitant and barely put any force into his blows, like he had no idea what he was doing. I was holding my own in the fight, and I didn't see the need to back out yet. He bit my ear and I pulled away. We glared at each other with bared teeth until I clawed his mane over his eyes and he pounced at my neck. He flipped us both over and we turned entirely in the air. I landed on top of him and pinned him against the ground in a painfully familiar way. He relaxed a bit and looked up at me with nothing but confusion.

"Nala?" he said. _What? How did he know that?_ I looked at his round, yellow eyes and his mane. His mane, the reddest I'd ever seen... I pulled my claws back in and backed off of him. I retreated next to another trunk and tried to make sense of it. Ancient ghosts were reappearing in my brain, and I shoved them away. Lions didn't come back from the dead.

"Is it really you?" the other lion asked. All the anger was gone from him and he looked like he'd found a long-lost friend.

"Who _are_ you?" I asked.

"It's me," he said, explaining nothing. But then he continued. "Simba." I looked closer at him. Age couldn't hide the resemblance. He looked so much like his father- _Like_ Mufasa, I corrected myself. There was the same merry sparkle and the same careless pride in his eyes. But how could it be?

"Simba?" I asked. He smiled and nodded. Nothing made sense anymore. Ghosts were coming to life and the friend I'd lost forever was in front of me. I knew it was him, back like he'd never left. Things I thought were laws of nature broke in an instant and there was nothing to do but go with it. I smiled like I didn't have a care in the world and threw myself at my friend.


	10. Loosen Up

"What happened? Why are you here?" I asked after Simba and I were done wrestling and reassuring each other this was real. I couldn't imagine why he hadn't come back. Did he get lost? How did he even get this far? Simba looked away and shrugged.

"Things just kind of happened," he said. He seemed like he didn't want to talk about it. _Of course._ I should have been more sensitive. I was reminding him of the day his father died. In all likelihood, he'd watched it happen.

"We kept looking, but we never found you. Scar told us you were dead," I said. He must have sensed the distaste in my voice when I mentioned Scar, because he flinched.

"Yeah. There was nothing else to think, I guess," he said. He kept stopping, even though I was dying to hear more.

"But what happened next?" I pressed. "How'd you get way out here?"

Simba paused to gather his thoughts. "I had to run along with the stampede until they slowed down. By the time they were done, I didn't even know where I was. I wound up stuck in the desert and I would have died if Timon and Pumbaa hadn't found me," he said, and he swung his head at the warthog and meerkat glaring at me.

" _Now_ you mention us," the meerkat said. "This crazy lioness almost _ate_ Pumbaa and now you're friends?"

"Relax, Timon," Simba said. "She didn't know."

"Sorry," I said, even though I felt ridiculous apologizing to food. Pumbaa snorted at me and turned away. Timon hopped on his back and they started discussing me.

"So what are _you_ doing here?" Simba asked. My thoughts went back to Scar and my euphoria darkened.

"Scar's the king now," I said. Simba looked guilty for the first time.

"Yeah, I guess so. How's he doing?" he asked. I glared at the ground as I spoke.

"Everything is ruined. The Pridelands are a barren waste. There's no food or water. The hyenas are bleeding us dry. We're starving," I said. I left out the personal details. What I'd given Simba was reason enough for me to leave. I was just looking for food. Nothing suspicious there.

"Oh," Simba said. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay now," I said. "You're here, and you're the _real_ king. We can go back and make everything right," I said. I butted my head against Simba's neck. He stiffened.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Don't you think we should wait a bit? We need a plan. We can't just run off. Scar will fight," Simba said. That didn't sound like him at all. Simba was always ready to charge into trouble. Not so long ago, he _laughed_ at it.

"That won't be a problem," I said, and I wrinkled my nose in confusion. "All the lionesses will fight with us. Scar only has his hyenas." I thought I saw fear in Simba's eyes, but I must have been mistaken.

"Come on, just give it a few days. You must be tired. Rest a while so you'll be strong for the trip back. We have to cross the desert, after all. Just take a few days," Simba said. Whatever else had happened, he was as irresponsible as ever. He saw my hesitation and smiled impishly.

"You deserve it. You came all this way to help everyone else. Take a few days just for _you._ Let me show you all the great stuff here before we go back home," he said. It had been so long since I'd seen someone so carefree. Despite my pleas, I really didn't want to go back any more than he did. This place was gorgeous, and Scar was a world away. It was tempting to keep it that way forever. _He's right,_ I rationalized. _It's a long way back home. I should get ready so I'm in top condition. Besides, I just found my best friend after years thinking he was dead. It's no harm to spend just a few days enjoying his company._

In my heart I knew I shouldn't let Simba tempt me, but I was tired of being good. I was tired of fending off Scar and dealing with his slavering hyenas. I was tired of running myself ragged hunting for a few bony antelope and watching Scar eat nearly everything I brought back. I was tired of living off scraps of meat and sleeping under a gloomy, dark sky. Life would be _good_ here. For just a few days, I wanted life to be good. Responsibility could wait. We'd go back in the end.

"All right," I said. Simba smiled wider and I smiled with him. "But just a few days."

"Great! Come on, I'll show you everything!" Simba said. He tossed his head and spun around. He ran off into the lush greenery until I had only his flaming red mane to follow him by. I felt all ym worries melt away as I ran after him like an excited little cub. It was just like old times. Me and Simba, without a care, making mischief and playing games.

The day wasn't long enough for all we wanted to do. Simba and I ran through clouds of butterflies and watched them spiral up in a rainbow tornado. We scrambled up trees and looked down at the flawless valley. Then he pushed me out and I grabbed him with me, spinning so he didn't crush me flat. We wrestled on the ground and jumped over logs just for the fun of it. He tried to convince me that bugs tasted good, which was weird even for him. I left him to his gross slime and ate a hare instead. It was fat and juicy, and I actually felt full when I was done. We chased after leaves and climbed up in a tree that was bursting with wonderful-smelling purple flowers.

"I haven't had this much fun in years," I said when we finally stopped. It wasn't that we'd seen everything. I was just tuckered out. Simba and I nestled into the roots of an enormous chaos tree and watched the stars peeking in through the canopy.

"Isn't it great? I could live here forever," Simba said.

"Is _is_ lovely," I said. I could see why he felt that way. If we didn't have to help the others, I could give up the savannah forever for this place. I felt a prick of guilt when I thought about the others, but I brushed it aside. I _was_ going to help them. I was just taking a tiny rest. Just a few more days of paradise. Then I'd get back to work.


	11. Simbutt Gets Cockblocked

**I mostly took the dialogue from the movie, but since this is an AU, I modified it. Also, Simba is OOC in this chapter, since Nala is the heroine for this story.**

* * *

Three days stretched into a week. I wanted to say I didn't notice it, but it would be a lie. Every night I wanted the paradise to last just one day longer. It wasn't the right _time_ yet. I wasn't _ready_ yet. But I knew I would never be ready, or at least I would never _want_ to be ready. Every day I spent with Simba made me crave more. He was everything Scar wasn't: sweet, gentle, happy, lighthearted, and noble. I thought after what had happened, I wouldn't want to be close to a male lion, but it was different with Simba. I could stay with him forever. I could bear cubs for him. If he wanted me, I could be his queen.

It didn't happen overnight, no matter how fast it seemed. Friendship blossomed into something more as we explored his wonderful home. It made me laugh when I remembered what Zazu had said so long ago, and how horrified we'd been. He was right after all.

There was something in the air that day. Simba and I ran down a hill cut in half by a slender, willowy waterfall, and I bounded onto a natural rock bridge. Mist billowed around me as I waited for him to follow. He seemed as light as a feather, even with all his muscles. He stopped, looking at me like I was so beautiful he'd forgotten how to walk. No had ever looked at me like that before, and I felt worthy of it just because he did it. I looked sultrily over my shoulder and jumped forward, teasing him on. He leaped in front of me and barred my way, making me dodge around him to continue the chase. He spun around in a half-circle to follow me and our mouths were inches apart. I padded up onto a higher rock so I could look down on him, and he looked up at me with exhilerating adoration.

I stopped by the edge of the pool at the waterfall's base and lapped up some water, pretending I didn't feel the charge. I looked at the surface and knew Simba was looking at me. I looked up at him and caught him in the act. He looked so adorably surprised when I did. As soon as I was done, he smiled and ran past me, switching our roles. I was about to rin after him when he grabbed a vine and swung into the water. That was the one other strange thing about him. I'd never seen a lion who actually liked to swim. He hit the water so hard I stretched my neck over the edge to make sure he was all right. He exploded from underwater and grabbed me around my neck, pulling me in with him. Cold, horrible water matted my fur, and I scrabbled wildly at the rocks until I was out. He hauled himself after me and smirked, so I pushed him back in and ran.

The warm sun dried my fur in minutes as we romped through tall, golden grass. A flock of white birds burst into the air in front of us as we disturbed them. We kept running until the grass turned to green jungle. When he was just one step behind me, I whirled around and reared up, batting him playfully with my paws. Instead of batting back, he wrapped his arms around me and tipped forward. We both fell backward and tumbled down a steep hill. I would have been crushed if he hadn't been careful, but as it was, it was more like a thrilling free-fall.

He landed sideways draped over me at the bottom of the hill. The grass was thick and soft underneath us. I felt his sturdy warmth against me and wished he was even closer. The moment was perfect, and I licked his cheek tenderly. His eyes popped open and he looked at me with hope and disbelief. _You didn't think I knew how cubs were made, Simba?_ I rested my head on the grass and stretched out my neck, my eyes telling him I knew exactly what we both wanted. His little-boy smile was so eager it seemed almost inappropriate for what was about to happen.

"Show me why you're the king," I whispered.

"Oh, that was so long ago. Let's just have fun," he said. I hadn't expected that. He'd said something similar earlier, about not being the king, but I'd thought he was just being modest. At the moment, the last thing I wanted to do was think, but I had to say something.

"We can't raise cubs alone," I said. He sighed with frustration and I felt the desire in his body.

"Timon can Pumbaa can help. You're so _responsible,_ " he said. He licked me across the muzzle and I shuddered at his touch. The desire and frustration boiled over and I snapped my next words.

"Are you ever going to go back?" I asked. Simba scooted back a little and I sat up halfway.

"Why do we have to go back? It's perfect here," he said. Suddenly, I didn't feel like "starting a pride" anymore. I sat up all the way and faced Simba.

"You've been alive all this time. You never came back," I said. I hadn't thought about what that really meant. If I could find my way to him, he could have found his way back home.

"Well, I just needed to... get out on my own," Simba said. "Live my own life. And I did. And it's great!"

"We really needed you at home," I said. I was starting to wonder if Simba had ever grown up at all, or if he'd left me to the growing for both of us.

"Simba, if you don't do something, everyone will starve!" I said. A minute ago, everything had been so perfect. Could I have misjudged him that much? He didn't even look sorry. He just looked mad he had to wait.

"You keep saying things like that. Why do we always have to worry about everyone else? You deserve this! Come on, stop worrying and let's do something better. Look, hakuna matata," he said, and he nuzzled my neck. I let him do it but didn't nuzzle back.

"What?" I asked.

"Hakuna matata. It means no worries," he said.

"It's your responsibility," I said. "Don't you understand? You're our only hope."

"If I'm really the king, I can do whatever I want. And I want to stay here," Simba said.

"Is that what you want?" I asked. He couldn't mean couldn't really be leaving us all. Simba was my friend. He always talked about being king and ruling the pridelands. I always knew that once we were done being young and silly, he would be a great king. I looked forward to it. Simba jumped up and turned a circle playfully. He looked _excited_ when he was done. I was pleading with him to save all of our lives- his _mother's_ life, among others- and he looked like he wanted to _play._

"I'm happy here! Forget them and come with me!" he said. He rubbed all along my side. I gathered my thoughts, hoping I'd understood him wrong. But there was nothing to misunderstand.

"If that's what you want, you're not my king," I said. My voice was hard and I felt the yearning warmth leave my body. "And you're not my mate, either."

"What? What's wrong with you?" Simba said. He looked hurt- almost as hurt as I was when I learned he'd never cared about us. I turned around and starting walking away. Simba followed after me, nuzzling at my neck and trying to block my path. Whenever he did, I just walked around him.

"Hey, where are you going? Wise up, Nala. Quit worrying and let life make you happy. Let _me_ make you happy," I said. I glared past him and kept walking.

"I'm going back to the Pridelands," I said. It surprised me how I wasn't even afraid. There were things that had to be done. Unlike Simba, I wasn't taking the easy way out. With all the betrayal and rage clawing at my insides, even Scar couldn't mess with me. If anything, I looked forward to fighting someone.

"Why would you want to do that?" Simba asked. He still had that idiotic smile. Was that all he cared about? Getting fat and chasing tail?

"Your pride needs a king. I didn't find him here, so I'll keep looking," I said. That finally got him to stop running in front of me. He sat and watched me walk away, and I didn't look back at him.

"Nala! Come on! Nala? Come back!" he called after me until I was out of earshot. He could beg all he wanted. I wasn't going to stay. There was nothing keeping me there.


	12. Oasis

After I'd burned off the worst of my temper, I stopped to collect myself. I looked back over my shoulder at Simba's paradise. For a moment I was tempted, but it wasn't possible. Unlike Simba, I couldn't leave our pride to die.

 _What happened to him?_ I thought. He was like a completely different lion. I wanted there to be a reason for it, and I rushed to make excuses. It didn't take long to think of the most likely answer. Simba had been there when Mufasa died. Most likely he'd watched his father die in front of him, probably trying to save his son. Something like that might have made Simba associate responsibility with danger, and at such a young age it was just too much for him. I could understand that, even if it was wrong. I'd built Simba up in my head just like I'd built up his father. He just wasn't the hero I thought he was. He was just a lion, and sometimes lions fail. As I watched his oasis grow smaller in the distance, I didn't feel the disdain I did when I first left. In the end, I was only disappointed. I hoped he'd be happy with the life he'd chosen, and I hoped I was strong enough to shoulder his burden.

I didn't know where to go after that. I started off heading north in my initial exodus, and I didn't see any reason to change. I'd eaten so much with Simba I wouldn't have to hunt for days, and I wanted to get away from him before I weakened.

The desert wasn't as long as it seemed, but I could see how difficult it would have been for Simba as a cub. He was lucky that meerkat and warthog found him. Even if they were bad influences, they were good friends for him. After I crossed the desert, I was back in wide-open savannah. Even though it felt like home, it seemed even more desolate after being with Simba. I yearned for just other lion to be with me, so I could be in a pride again. It wasn't right for a lion to be alone.

The days grew less lonely as they went on. The first night seemed to last forever. I longed for Simba's comforting, warm fur beside mine. The savannah seemed desolate and empty without Mwali or my mothers. I watched lines of wildebeest file by in the distance and wished I was like them, surrounded by my family. When I stalked one and snatched it away, I felt a flash of perverse glee that one of them was now alone like me. But afterward, I was just sorry again.

I didn't notice all at once how much I'd changed. It only happened when I thought what was happening back home. I thought of Scar and what I'd have to do to oust him, and I realized our relationship had changed. Before, I'd thought of him as an authority- someone I had to respect and obey. He was higher than me, and that was why I was scared of him. Things were different now. I'd grown, both in size and responsibility. I was hardly the lion I was when I left. I was so different, I didn't know if Scar would find the new me desirable. I wasn't meek and innocent anymore. I wasn't his subject. I was his opponent.

It must have been a month before I found anything. The savannah gave way to arid desert, and food became harder to come by. I grew leaner, and then I grew more crafty. I felt my muscles getting tighter and wirier as I worked harder for leaner meat. Necessity made me faster and hardier- sometimes I went three days without water. But even as the land grew harsher, I was glad. Harsher land meant fewer water holes, and that made each one more likely to harbor a pride. I was getting closer.

When I finally saw the lion, I thought it was a mirage. It looked too large compared to the tree next to it. It must have been half again my size, and there was something strange about it. Its size suggested it was female, but its mane was so small it was barely there. I saw it after I looked up from drinking at another tiny water hole, and it was looking back at me with as much confusion as I looked at it. It didn't shimmer like the mirages I'd seen before. My heart fluttered and I knew it was real. After so long, I'd found them. I wanted to cry out in joy and run toward it, but I stopped myself.

I should have been cautious, but I was overjoyed to see another lion after so long. I took one step forward and paused in case I alarmed the other lion. It smiled and mirrored my movement. I smiled back, and we drew closer.

"Hello, stranger." the voice was feminine, and it was strange. The consonants were soft and the vowels were longer. It all sounded rounded-off and alion. "How are you?"

"I'm... all right, I guess," I said. I hadn't realized it had been so long since I'd last spoken. I felt out of practice. The other lion rubbed her face on my shoulder in a friendly greeting.

"You speak strangely. Are you from far away?" she asked. I returned her greeting and relished the feeling of lion fur against mine.

"Uh... yes. Very far," I said. "I'm Nala. I came from across the desert, in the savannah."

"That is very far," the lioness said with wide eyes. "I am Laith. Will you visit our pride? You must be tired and lonely."

"I am," I said. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

* * *

 **If you're interested, I did some research. After comparing pictures of Mufasa with various subspecies of lion, I decided he looked most like a Northeast Congo Lion, putting the Pridelands somewhere near the savannahs of Uganda. Laith is a Barbary lioness, as evidenced by her large size and female mane. Since her species is extinct, my story must take place before 1960, and I assumed records may have been imperfect. Barbary lions lived in North Africa, so Nala would have had to walk from Uganda to Algeria. But I fudged the numbers and assumed some outlying prides were farther south, bringing them close enough for her to travel in a month. This also explains Laith's accent and why her name is Arabic and not Swahili.**


	13. Pleased to Meet You

"You have no mane," Laith said curiously. She looked at my bare neck as she waited for my response.

"Where I come from, only male lions have manes," I said. She tilted her head and her eyes grew round.

"That must make them terribly proud," she said. I thought of how fine a figure Mufasa cut standing on the edge of pride rock, and how Simba piled red leaves around his neck to imitate his father.

"Sometimes," I said, and we both laughed. Already I was starting to think of Laith as a friend, though she looked at least a year older than I was and I'd barely met her. It had been so long, I probably would have been friends with anyone.

"There are eleven lions in my pride. Are prides the same size here?" I asked. I wanted to see how many reinforcements I could gather, but I was also genuinely curious.

"There are seven of us. Six of us lionesses, and then our leader. He'll be pleased to meet you, I'm sure. He's very friendly," Laith said. "He'll want to know why you came, though. I do, too, but we should wait. We're almost there." She looked ahead to a clump of bushes that blocked the blazing sun. Two lionesses were visible in its shade, and I assumed the others were hidden behind them. My feet felt lighter and I smiled widely when I saw them. Laith noticed and smiled back.

"You must really have been lonely," she said. I kept my eyes on the lionesses as they noticed us and stood up. One of them called over her shoulder, and I heard more lions rising.

"Laith! Who's that?" the closest one called. She and the other lioness I'd seen were walking toward us with their tails lifted welcomingly. More heads poked out of the bushes until I saw all the lionesses, and only the male remained hidden. Five of them were grown, and two cubs ran at me and stared.

"Why doesn't she have a mane?" one whispered to the other. The adults all started asking questions, and Laith cut them off.

"This is Nala. She came here from far away," she said, and she shushed another volley of questions. "Our king will want to speak with her." She led me toward the bushed as the lionesses crowded around me, sniffing and butting their heads on me. The cubs darted around underfoot and I had to watch to avoid stepping on them. I hadn't felt so special since the peace ceremony so long ago.

"What's all this ruckus?" I heard a deep voice coming from the shady spot. I would have thought the king would want to be the first to greet me, but perhaps he was too dignified to come to me. I had no idea what to expect, and I certainly didn't expect what I saw.

Whatever kind of lions these were, manes must have been their more important feature. The lion lying on the ground before me had a mane the color of pale savannah grass, and in that feature it was much less striking than Mufasa's. However, I'd never seen a lion with a mane as large around as a baobab tree and reaching all the way down his belly and to his back legs. It would have been magnificent, along with the rest of his pleasing form, if it didn't make him look just a little comical. The lion saw me and straightened up imperiously.

"A newcomer? What a wonderful surprise! I am Malik- uh, _king_ Malik. Welcome to my pride," he shifted forward to get up, and I saw why he hadn't earlier. His prodigious mane had hidden his hindquarters, but as he moved, I saw that his right hind leg ended in a stump right before the paw. For a moment I thought he would have trouble rising, but he scooted forward and raised himself up on the other three legs with nothing out of the ordinary but a slight hop. I tried not to stare, but he caught me.

"Oh, that's nothing. I still have another spare," he said. He lifted his left front paw and balanced on the two remaining legs, and surely my face showed how impressed I was. "But more importantly, what brings you here? You must have traveled very far, and all alone." I was about to answer when he interrupted his own thought and broke in.

"What am I saying? That can wait! First we must welcome you. Seyaad! Take our your hunting party and bring back a feast! We will celebrate long into the night, and we will all know you better. But you stay here with me. You must be weary, and you are our guest. Lie here in the shade with me, and you can tell me why you came," he said. The lionesses gathered and set off, whispering and peeking over their shoulders at me as they protested the separation. The two cubs crept near us and pretended not to be listening. Malik looked pointedly at them and they retreated a few steps and pretended not to listen from there.

I didn't even know where to start. I'd never thought about what I'd do after finding another pride. Now that the moment had come, I couldn't just turn around and expect them to follow me back home. I was lucky they didn't tear me apart as a dangerous rogue. They didn't know anything about my situation. I'd have to explain about Scar, and the hyenas ( _do they even_ have _hyenas here?)_ and Simba...

"Can I sit down for a minute?" I asked. It was all very overwhelming. Just seeing other lions was enough to change my world.

"Oh dear, how thoughtless of me," Malik said. "You're probably exhausted. You rest as long as you want. There is plenty of time to talk later."

As welcoming as Malik and the others were, I felt strange venturing far into their camp, so I stretched out by the nearest tree. I really wasn't tired so much as overwhelmed, and I didn't close my eyes right away. I just collected my thoughts and assured myself again and again that the others were real and I was with a pride again. For the first time in a month, there were eyes on me when I slept, and I relished them.

* * *

 **I just wanted to tell everyone I don't dislike Simba. Of course he and Nala are the real pairing. I just wondered what would happen if he was different that he was in the movie. If he'd been sort of an immature man-child instead of what he really was, something like this could have happened. This is a what-if, not me trying to "improve" the story.**


	14. That Did Not Go As Planned

I felt something tugging at my tail when I woke. I swiveled one ear back and heard the unmistakable sounds of two cubs wrestling and arguing.

"You shouldn't do that."

"I just want to see."

"You're gonna wake her up."

"She's been sleeping _forever!"_

Of course I did what any other lion would do. I flicked the closest cub in the face with my tail. He squealed and tumbled away.

"I told you so!" the other one said. I saw Malik laughing as I got up and turned to face the cubs. The girl pointed her ears at the boy.

"Ibni did it!" she said. Her brother glared at her.

"It's okay. I'm excited to meet you too," I said. There hadn't been any cubs in my pride since Scar took over. It was good seeing carefree kids again.

"What happened to your mane?" Ibni asked. His sister glanced at him but didn't say anything.

"I lost it fighting a crocodile," I said. Both the cubs stared wide-eyed and gasped. Malik laughed more. He looked out of the bushes and stood up.

"The hunting party is back," he said. I followed his gaze and saw the other lionesses dragging a thin antelope between them.

"Wow! Look how much they got!" the female cub said. She and Ibni ran out to greet the hunters.

 _That's a lot?_ I thought. I wasn't complaining, of course. I was overjoyed to be with lions again and I was very thankful that they were so friendly and generous. It was just that before Scar came and the prey vanished, that wouldn't have been anything special back home. The harsh desert must have meant thinner prey.

I tried to slip in with the other lionesses around the antelope, but Malik caught me.

"Come to the front, Nala! You're the guest of honor," he said. He was trying to be friendly, but I wanted to slink away and disappear when I saw everyone was staring at me. I may have been a big deal at the ceremony so long ago, but after that I always got to blend in with Simba, since he was the prince.

"Thanks," I said, and I awkwardly wondered if I should say something else. Everyone kept looking at me and I waited for Malik to eat first so we could start. Nobody moved, and silence reigned.

"Isn't she going to eat?" the girl cub whispered to her mother. _What, me?_ The king always ate first. I never liked it when lions watched me eat. I felt sloppy.

"Oh, sorry," I blurted. I closed my eyes and lunged forward, taking the smallest and quickest bite I could. I swallowed it without chewing and to my relief, the cubs joined in right away. Then everyone else started, and everything was all right again.

"Tell us about yourself," Malik requested. "We're all very curious."

I didn't even know where to start. I found a place and started talking.

"I came from the savannah, where the grass is taller and it's not so hot. It used to be very beautiful and the prey was always plentiful. We had a great king and life was good." I could have mentioned Simba, but he wasn't important now, and I still didn't know how I felt about him.

"Then there was a stampede, and Mufasa died. His brother Scar took over, but he was a tyrant. He called in our enemies the hyenas and set them loose in our kingdom. He drove the prey away and even the sun never shines anymore. When I couldn't bear it anymore-" _Yes, that was the whole reason. Nothing else. It wasn't personal or anything,_ I thought. "- I left to find help. I was hoping to find someone who would help us drive Scar away and make our kingdom great again," I said. Deep and long-buried emotion started bubbling up again when I thought of my home and how things used to be. I was quiet as the others started to react.

" _We_ can help you!" Malik said right away. "We can go right away."

"What?" one of the lionesses said. "We don't know how far it is. We don't know how strong Scar is. We can't just run off and fight someone else's battle."

"Munazi is right. Ibni and Banat are too little, anyway," the cubs' mother said. One of the other lionesses glared at me and I was sorry I'd said anything.

"I didn't mean to make trouble," I said. I was surprised Munazi spoke up like that. Mufasa was always fair and he often consulted the lionesses, but his word was law.

"Nonsense. You came to help your pride. It would be shameful to leave you. We have to help," Malik said.

"Think again. It's impossible," Munazi said. The other lionesses murmured in agreement. I couldn't believe they explicitly defied the king. Everything was different here.

"I think we should help. What if we needed help and no one would help us?" Laith asked. One of the others protested and they started to argue amongst themselves. I was sorry I'd ruined the feast and I slunk away into the bushes.

I should have known it wouldn't be that easy. I was asking them to travel farther than they'd gone in their lives and risk death for a lion they barely knew. I was selfish to ask it of them. They had their own problems and their own children to take care of. I didn't know what to do, and I didn't know what to say when Malik followed me.


	15. Measure of a King

A huge shadow blocked the light around me and I knew it was Malik. I would have though I'd want to be alone, but I was glad to have him there with me. I'd barely met him, but I already knew he was open and understanding. He was compassionate enough to offer to help someone he barely knew, and he seemed honestly surprised when the others brought up their reasonable objections. He stood at the edge of the bushes and peeked in after me.

"Are you okay?" he asked. For whatever reason, just having him there made me feel better.

"I'm fine," I said. He looked down and swatted at an imaginary fly.

"I didn't think they'd say that," he said. "I just wanted to help." After I'd thought about it, I realized they others were being completely reasonable. Really, I was more surprised by how Malik handled their dissent. He didn't act like their leader. He acted like he didn't even feel worthy to be part of the pride.

"They're right. You have your own problems. You can't drop everything and run off to help me," I said. I could still hear them arguing in the distance, and I wondered what they were saying.

"Do you mind if I come in?" Malik asked. I felt a prick of amusement that he was asking for permission to enter his own home, but I appreciated his concern.

"Of course. I'd like that," I said. He settled down next to me and I savored the closeness and the heat that emanated from him.

"I don't know what to do," he said. It sounded more like a confession, a confession he'd wanted to make for a long time. I was reminded again that lions aren't always what they appear. Simba looked so much like his father, but he had nothing of Mufasa's authority or presence. Malik may have looked like a ferocious king, but I didn't know at all what he was really like.

"You have to do what's best for your pride, that's all," I said, pointing out the obvious. His eyes filled with uncertainty and worry before he spoke.

"I don't know what that is," he said. It was so sudden and heartfelt I didn't know what to say, and he went on. "I can't let them know, but I don't know how to lead them. They think I'm like my father. He was a great king. He always knew what to do. I can't do what he did. I second-guess and I worry about what's going to happen to them. I don't know what I'm doing, and I'm terrified I'm going to keep letting them down."

I stopped to gather my thoughts before I spoke. What Malik was saying was important and sensitive. Whatever happened, I wanted to make sure I said the right thing. While I thought, I nestled closer to him and curled my tail around him, trying to express with my body the words I wasn't sure I knew. When Malik saw I wasn't going to say anything, he went on.

"I can't believe I'm even saying all this. You're the one that's stressed, not me. I guess I just felt like you're the only one I could tell. I can't let the others know," he said. I couldn't bear to see him so upset. In the short time I'd known him, I'd never seen Malik be anything but selfless and kind. He deserved better than this.

"You're a good king," I said. He looked up at me and I saw confusion mix with worry.

"How would you know?" he asked. And then I knew what to say.

"I know because I see your pride. They're healthy and they're safe. Where I come from, we're all afraid. We're hungry and we always have to watch for skulking hyenas. We have no cubs because no one wanted to bring life into that world. Here, the cubs are happy. You're well fed and you're prosperous. Most important, they can trust you. They don't fear and hate their king. They trust him enough to know they can disagree with him and he'll listen. I see how conflicted you are and I know it's because your greatest desire is to protect them. You're not a weak king. You're a _good_ king," I said. So long ago, I'd taken it for granted that kings did what was good for their prides and that they were safe. After Scar, I could see how rare and valuable kings like Malik were, and I wished he could see how much I admired him.

"But I want to help you. They don't want to. How do I know what's right?" he asked. All my praise wasn't enough to raise his spirits, even if he was sitting a little taller. He wasn't focused on that. He was focused on _me-_ on how he could help me and his pride _._ His own doubt and fear were superseded by his royal duties. I had never seen such selflessness, and resolution hardened within me.

"You've already given me everything I need. You took me in and you gave me a new family. I've come this far. I will find a solution. Until then, I would be honored to call myself part of your pride. Nothing would make me happier," I said. The last sentence was a slight exaggeration. Helping my pride would have made me happier. But the lie was worth in when I saw the joy in Malik's face. His golden mane framed a shocked, delighted smile, and he looked as bright as the sun above us.


	16. The Ghost and the Darkness

If I didn't already have a home, I could have stayed with Malik's pride forever. I loved being with the other lionesses and running with them in their hunts. We groomed each other and for the first time in weeks, the snarls of fur in the middle of my back were gone. I didn't have to worry about starvation or hyenas. When I saw Malik, I didn't have to slink away or retreat to Mwali to make sure he didn't try anything. I felt like a member of a pride again and not just another slave to a tyrant king.

But at the same time, thoughts of that tyrant king kept me from truly settling in. Every time I saw Malik leading his pride with kindness, I thought of the others back home and what they were suffering. Every new friend I made reminded me of Mwali, and seeing Ummi with her cubs made me think of how worried Sarafina and my mother must be. With all my heart I wanted to help them, but I didn't know what to do. I could put myself at risk, but I couldn't drag my new friends with me. It didn't seem possible to find anyone to fight with me when anyone willing to do that didn't deserve to get hurt.

I wished I could be like Simba and cast my responsibilities and cares away. It would have been so easy here. I could make a new life away from all my worries and enjoy my new pride and family. Maybe I could even start a family...

Ever since I was a little cub, I knew someday I'd have a mate. Some lionesses, like Mwali, weren't interested in that. She thought it was silly to spend all your time caring for cubs and nuzzling with some male. I was different. I wanted to know someone loved me like no one else in the world, in a way my mother couldn't love me. I wanted someone to sleep beside every night and someone who would tell me I was lovely, even if I already knew it. Life was just so grand. I wanted to share it with someone else.

I couldn't deny my feelings for Malik. I didn't want to get carried away- I hardly knew him and I was so starved for affection I could have latched on to anyone. But still, something was there. I was happier when he was near me, and I always caught myself looking at him without noticing it. He was everything Scar and Simba weren't: selfless, kind, dutiful, compassionate, and affectionate. He would have made a wonderful father, and I could have gone a thousand years without wanting to leave him.

What's more, I knew he felt the same. Malik wore his heart on the outside. I could see his soul in his face and I loved him for it. I saw he liked me in the way his tail pricked and his eyes lit up whenever he saw me. At first I thought he was just being friendly, but it went beyond that. I made excuses not to leave and find help just because I knew he didn't want me to go. If he ever asked me to stay, I didn't know if I had the strength to refuse.

Malik and I liked to sit at the edge of the bushes at night before we went to sleep. We would talk about life and our pasts, and sometimes we would just sit next to each other and not say anything at all. Sometimes the lionesses teased, but we really weren't doing anything. We had only just met, and I had things to take care of. It was a lovely dream, but I had to stay in reality.

A piercing cry interrupted us suddenly. I jumped to my feet, but Malik was almost out of sight by the time I got up. I didn't know anyone could move that fast, much less a lion with three legs. He tore through the night as I ran after him.

"What happened?" I asked, but Malik didn't answer. All the relaxation and contentment from a minute ago was gone, and he looked absolutely panicked. Just seeing it in him made it spread to me. Malik crashed through the bushes and nearly collided with Munazi, who was clustered with the other lionesses around Ummi.

"Where are the cubs?" Malik shouted. There was a horrible urgency in his voice, and he was shaking as he yelled. I wanted to press against him and tell him it would be okay, but I was scared to go near him.

"It's okay. They're here," Munazi said. She flicked her tail at Ummi and I saw the cubs huddled beneath her, shivering. Ummi was bent over them, crouched low and licking them.

"He's there," Munazi said. She indicated a spot out in the gloom, and I peered closer. _Who's there?_ I wondered. In the dim light I saw a shadowy outline of a lion. Munazi called it a "he", but I didn't see a mane. I'd heard of lions like that, strange lions from the south, but they couldn't be here, so far north of my home. Two reflective eyes glaring back at me before the lion slunk out of sight.

"Who was that?" I asked. Malik was nuzzling at the cubs and checking them over, so Laith spoke up.

"We call him She'bah, 'the darkness'. We don't know when he first came here, but he's not like us. You saw he had no mane. He's vicious and brutal. He attacks in the night and takes those who can't fight back. He's been here before," she said. When she said it, Munazi crouched low and flattened her ears. Ummi moved to her side and nuzzled her shoulder.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Only one of my cubs survived birth," Munazi said. Laith tried to go on, but Munazi continued. "She'bah took him. He's a monster. He..." she broke off and her voice clogged with tears.

"I couldn't stop him," Malik said. He bent his body around the cubs like a wall. His voice was seemed at once hollow and filled with grief. He was always full of life, but it was like saying this made him dead. "He had the cub in his mouth. I ran after him, but I wasn't fast enough. I heard the cub calling, and then he wasn't anymore." His back sagged like the memory weighed him down to the ground. He was crying as much as Munazi, and I couldn't bear it. There wasn't anything I could say to make it better.

"It was my leg. If I was a whole lion I would have saved him," he said. He sank lower to the ground, and I went to his side. I pressed against him like the leg he didn't have and held him up, silently supporting him in his grief. I couldn't imagine the amount of pain a heart as large as Malik's could hold. Everything had seemed so perfect in this new home, but it seemed they had their own painful memories. There was nothing I wouldn't have done for Malik the pride that helped me so much, and in a flash it came to me. I knew how to solve their problem and my own, but in that moment I didn't care about that. I knew how to heal Malik, and that was what mattered most.

* * *

 **One last new subspecies: She'bah is a Tsavo lion. They hail from- surprise- Tsavo, a region in Kenya. They're not known for cannibalism more than any other lions, but they are the most aggressive subspecies. They're most famous because of The Ghost and The Darkness, a pair of males that terrorized a group of railway workers in Kenya in 1898. Their bodies are on display in the Chicago Field Museum and tests confirmed that they ate at least 34 people between them. It's suspected they killed around 135. Tsavo males also sometimes don't join prides and remain loners. They definitely wouldn't be in the same area as Atlas lions, but Tsavo males do tend to wander, so She'bah just wandered a _really_ long way.**


	17. To The Death

I waited three days before I put my plan into effect. I didn't want the others to suspect, and I wanted She'bah to think he was safe.

The day I chose was scorched and arid. The sun was directly overhead when I began. The others were lying in the shade of the bushes. It was far too hot to do anything else. None of us were going to do much of anything today. Except me.

It was easy to look casual as I walked out a gap in the back of the bushes. My plan didn't seem real yet, and the others had no reason to suspect I was doing anything. It looked for all the world like I was just taking care of business in a cat's neat and private way.

No matter how savage a lion or where he came from, he needed water. In this desert, there was only one watering hole in two days' walk. The sun burned hot on the fur on my back as I made my way there. It was empty, and I'd expected as much. However, I also knew a few things about lone lions. They preferred not to be detected. When I was wandering, I tended to take my drinks at high noon, when the sun was at its hottest and most animals were resting. While I was there I checked the scent for any prides, but at the same time I avoided predators or dangerous herds.

I tilted my head back and opened my mouth as I smelled in order to catch every trace. I needn't have been so careful. She'bah's scent was strong and obvious. I followed it around the edge of the pond and found a pair of footprints full of the scent. He couldn't hide now.

There was little cover in the desert, and at first I was afraid of being seen. But the trail lead me so far that soon the bushes were small in the distance. Ahead of me was a range of yellow-brown, jagged mountains that had been hidden by the horizon before. As I grew closer, I saw the many caves among the cliffs. The trail lead directly to one, but I didn't need to smell it anymore. I could see the bones littering the entryway, and more preceded me as I went inside. The stench of death mingled with the unmistakable smell of a male lion, and I knew I was close.

I passed around a wide rock and She'bah sprang at me. He smashed into my chest and knocked me to the ground on my side. His jaws snapped at my neck and I barely dodged so he got skin and not flesh. I surged back up at him and was surprised when I was able to push him back. He was a male, but he was the same size as me. His fur was pale and mottled and his neck looked scrawny and mangy without a beard. I batted at him with both paws and he grabbed me by the front and tossed me down again. I hissed at him as he looked for an opening, and we both lashed our tails as we paused.

I'd hoped to be able to surprise him, but I'd known this was a possibility. He knew the terrain and if I could smell him, he could smell me. As it was, I was in serious danger. She'bah was a rogue accustomed to brutal fights and constant vigilance. I knew that before I set out, and I went anyway. If I killed their tormentor, the lionesses might be willing to help me. If I didn't, there was nothing left for me to do. I was laying my life on an all-or-nothing shot.

She'bah lunged down at my throat again. I scuttled backward and he swiped my head with his paw. My head cracked against the ground and pain burst through me. I raked my claws along his belly and he sank his teeth into my shoulder. He shook his head back and forth and tore ribbons out of my flesh. I shoved him off and got to my feet, but it was difficult to stand. He went for my throat again and I tore at his ear until it was shredded. He turned his head and bit back at me, opening a gash from my cheek to my upper neck. Blood started to pour out of me and I knew I couldn't fight much longer.

My breathing was labored. If She'bah leaped at me again I would fall. I circled around him and snarled as he pressed in closer. In all likelihood, I only had a few minutes left, but it didn't bother me like it should have. She'bah's stomach was matted with blood and he was almost as battered as I was. He might survive this battle, but the next time he attacked Malik's tribe he wouldn't get away. I could accept death. It would mean the end of my problems and responsibilities. So be it. Hakuna Matata.

My survival instincts weren't as philosophical as I was, and I batted She'bah away whenever he moved to attack. My legs gave away and I snarled at him as he loomed over me. He stepped back out of my reach, then started to advance. Then he looked up and a shadow passed over me. He tumbled backwards as Malik drove into him and launched into an attack.

I hardly even had time to get up. She'bah screamed and tore at Malik, but it was like he was a cataclysm and not a lion. He shrugged off She'bah's blows and drove him back mercilessly against the wall of the cave. He swatted him against the rocks like a leaf and pinned him to the ground with his massive paws. His jaws clamped around She'bah's throat and he thrashed as his whistling breaths grew weaker. His struggles faded to empty twitches as the life left him.

He was still jerking when Malik left him. He ran to me as I gained my feet and checked me over worriedly, disregarding his own wounds. Blood was smeared on his jaws and flesh hung from his teeth, but he'd never looked so loving.

"You saved me," I said. Something lit up within him and he changed. He was tense with the battle and his limbs were still bent to jump if he had to. But then he straightened, and he seemed to swell in size. The worry and fear left his eyes and he looked as mighty as Mufasa. He drew himself up and became the king I knew he was.

"I was fast enough," he said.


	18. Excelsior

"What were you doing here?" Malik asked. He was moving around trying to lick all my wounds at once like I was a little cub. "You almost got yourself killed!"

"I wanted to kill She'bah for you," I said. I was so weak and disoriented I could barely form a sentence, and what I said barely made sense.

"But why?" Malik asked. I hauled myself to my feet and he stood beside me in case I fell over.

"So he wouldn't hurt you anymore. And so... the others would help me," I said.

"You thought if you killed She'bah for them, they'd be willing to fight Scar," Malik said.

"But you killed him, so it doesn't matter. The most important thing is he's dead," I said. Even if I never got back to my pride, I had done something right.

"They don't have to know that," Malik said. We started to limp toward the mouth of the cave. He licked me ear, even though it wasn't wounded.

"You'd tell them it was me?" I asked. I was hardly surprised, though. Malik would have gnawed off another of his legs if he thought it would help someone else.

"It _was_ you, mostly. I only helped a little. It doesn't matter who did it, anyway," Malik said. Long-buried hope started to flutter in me, and I felt new strength in my battered limbs.

"How are you always so perfect?" I asked. I pressed closer to him even though I was steady on my feet.

"I was born this way," he said, and he almost looked like Simba.

"How did you find me?" I asked.

"I went to the watering hole to see if you were there, and then I heard you. You were making some racket," he said.

"I'm dreadfully sorry," I said. I looked ahead and saw Laith at the watering hole searching the horizon. She saw us and ran forward.

"What happened? Are you okay?" she asked. She sniffed at my wounds.

"She killed She'bah," Malik said. Laith's head jerked up.

"You _what?"_ she asked.

"He's dead," I said. "He'll never hurt anyone again."

When we reached the bushes, the other lionesses clustered around and fussed over me. Malik told them our story as they tended to my wounds and chattered.

"You really killed She'bah?" Banat asked with wide eyes. She and Inbi stood up against my bacj until Ummi nudged them aside.

"He's dead," I said again.

"Now we can run around all night!" Ibni said.

"You can _not,"_ Ummi said. Ibni groaned. After the lionesses had done all they could, I sat up gingerly. Ummi crouched down so she was lower than my head and looked at the ground.

"Thank you. We can never repay you," she said. The other lionesses bowed their heads in sympathy, but Laith interrupted.

"We _can_ repay her. We can help her free her pride from Scar," she said. I wasn't sure how to broach the topic and certainly hadn't intended to yet, but Laith did it for me. The other lionesses looked at each other and started to discuss it.

"We'll have to wait until she heals," Munazi said. "What about the cubs?"

"Please can we go? We never get to do anything," Banat said.

"Yeah, please?" Ibni said. "We'll be _really_ good. We'll help fight Scar."

"You will _not,"_ Ummi said. " _If_ we go, you will stay somewhere safe. But I would be honored ro help my cubs' savior," she said to me.

"It will be dangerous," Munazi said. "We have always been peaceful."

"As dangerous as it was for Nala to fight She'bah," Laith said.

"War is easy to fight in the mind. Real violence is what you see here," Munazi said, and she pointed her nose at the still-bleeding wounds all over me.

"We don't have to be afraid of that anymore. I don't want Nala to either," Ummi said.

"Malik must decide. He is the king," one of the other lionesses said. They all turned to him, and he stood up.

"I cannot make any lion fight a battle that isn't hers. I wish to help Nala however I can, but I am your king. I can only lead you into battle if you wish it. Do you?" he asked.

"Yes!" Laith said.

" _Yes!"_ Inbi and Banat squealed. Ummi nodded. The other lionesses voiced their assent one after another.

Last of all was Munazi. "I shall go," she said. "If I must fight to defend my pride, so be it."

Strength and excitement surged through me and I felt like my wounds were gone already. I wanted to jump up and get started right away. We had barely started, but it was like had already won. Scar didn't know it, but he was already defeated. I was coming for him, and so was the bravest lion I knew. He didn't have a chance.


	19. Eve of Battle

**Know what's really boring? A bunch of lions walking across a desert for a month. Instead of writing that, I skipped it. Please imagine them all running across the desert in slow-motion like Simba in the movie.**

* * *

Seeing the Pridelands again was like a blow from She'bah. I hadn't thought it could get any worse, but it had. Even the barren desert of Malik's pride looked welcoming next to my home. The grass was gone and the ground was bare rock. Skeletons of trees sparsely dotted the landscape and piles of bones lay scattered in gullies. Even the sky was gray and ashy. The lionesses around me were the most colorful things in the area.

"You live here?" Malik asked. The other lionesses stared around in dismay.

"It used to be different," I said. It used to be so different I could hardly describe it. There were colorful birds and thick grass and the sky was endless blue. And there was Simba- Simba, who brought life and color wherever he went. Simba, who fought a hyena for his friend. He was as different now as the Pridelands before me. Maybe they only reflected their king.

"This place is gross. When do we get to fight?" Ibni asked.

"We can't just charge right in," I said. We'd had a lot of time over our journey to form a strategy. Malik and the others didn't seem to have a violent bone in their bodies, so it was mostly me. It felt strange to teach lions how to fight and kill other lions. Malik was too tender for this, and the other lionesses were so peaceful before I came. I couldn't fight the guilt when I thought of what was ahead of us. I could only hope Scar was as cowardly as he seemed and would surrender quickly. Once we got to Mwali and the others, he'd be outnumbered even with his hyena troops. Besides, they probably weren't as loyal to a tyrant as my friends were to a king.

"Do you have to go?" Malik asked. He wasn't pleased about the next part of my plan, and I didn't like it either. I was going to go back to Scar and act like I wanted back into the pride. I'd act like a shamefaced cub who ran away from home and came back with her tail between her legs when she got hungry enough. If I knew Scar, he'd welcome me back as long as I was willing to pick up where things left off. I'd go back to the lionesses and tell them what was happening. The plan called for a diversion to distract the hyenas. Laith insisted on taking that part, even though I wanted her to guard the cubs with Ummi where she'd be safe. I wanted everyone to be safe, and I couldn't bear to think about any of them getting hurt. We'd sneak the cubs and any lions who couldn't fight away from the battle and leave them with Ummi and Munazi to guard them. The other lionesses would guard the perimeter while Malik and I confronted Scar. Even though my fight with Scar was personal, I was glad Malik would be there. I knew Scar wouldn't try to fight someone as big as he was, and a shorter battle meant less bloodshed.

"I'll be okay. It's just for a few hours," I said. I curled my tail around his back leg and licked his ear. A lot can happen when a lion and a lioness spend a month together crossing a desert. I was close to Malik in a different way than I had been to Simba. Simba could give me happiness and fun, but Malik would always be there, whether things were good or bad. His love was permanent, not amusing. I wasn't even gone yet and I missed him.

"We have tonight," I reminded him. We'd just arrived in the Pridelands, and we were all weary. We were going to stay one night on the border to rest and prepare ourselves. I was impatient to see my mother and Mwali again, but I also wanted the night to last forever. Anything could happen in this battle. My friends could die because they wanted to help me and I let them. If it looked like something might happen to me, Malik would never hesitate. I'd already lost Simba twice. I couldn't bear it if Malik died because of me. Anticipating the victory and thinking of seeing my old friends again seemed vastly preferable than getting there.

As the sun set, I looked out at Pride Rock from our clifftop perch across the savannah. I saw faint specks of movement around its perimeter, and I wondered who they were. Was I seeing Sarafina and Mwali, or just more hyenas? How many of my friends were left in this wasteland? There couldn't be enough food for the number of lionesses we had when I left. What was Scar doing? Had he taken Sarabi as his mate to solidify his power, or did his tastes still run younger than that? I shuddered and thought about Mwali again. Did he go after her instead just to get revenge on me? I knew whatever cubs we found on Pride Rock would be his. I didn't hold it against them, though. They didn't ask for him as a father, just like I didn't ask for his affections. They were as hungry and scared as all the other lions he lorded over, and I knew Malik would welcome them all when this was over.

Laith sat beside me for a long time as night came on, but when the sun was down, I wanted other company. I knew she understood when she winked at me over her shoulder as I went to where Malik was sitting with the cubs climbing over him.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" I asked. Usually I slept with Laith, though sometimes Malik and I talked long into the night.

"Of course," Malik said. He rolled over and stood up, sending Ibni and Banat sliding off his stomach. Ummi gathered them up.

"Come along, you two. It's bedtime," she said. For the first time in a long while, I wanted some privacy.

"Let's go out a bit so we can keep watch," I said. Malik followed and we left the other lionesses behind us in a cluster. They were whispering and giggling, and I felt my fur grow hot. It wasn't anything like that. I just had a lot to think about before tomorrow's battle, and I wanted to make sure I got it all out before it was too late. And yet, the farther we got from camp, the faster my heart beat.


	20. Yeah They Boned

There was nothing beautiful about the sun setting in the dusk over the wasted Pridelands, but I was still pleased to share it with Malik. He was as golden and radiant as our surroundings were dead and cold. He was like my sun, always bright and protective. I never wanted to stop basking in his presence.

"Are you scared?" I asked. I remembered long ago Simba told me something Mufasa said to him after we got in trouble for sneaking to the Elephant Graveyard. He kept most of it secret as some "father-son" thing, but he told me a bit. He said Mufasa told him kings are only brave when they have to be. As strange as it was, I still considered it true for him. If Simba saw Scar attack me, he'd leap in without hesitation. It was the less obvious threats he ignored. It was easier to be a hero than a leader. Maybe it's true that a king is only brave when he has to be, but maybe a king always has to be brave.

"Yes," Malik said. "It's not so bad if _I_ die. We all become grass eventually. I'm afraid I'll falter and someone I'm responsible for will get hurt. Any of us could die tomorrow. Most of all, I'm afraid of losing you."

There was no time left to waste. This could be our last night, and it was time to say everything I needed to. I'd already been ready to give my heart away once, and I'd been through the worst that could happen. I wasn't afraid of that with Malik, and if it did happen, I'd find someone else.

"I'm afraid, too. Because I love you," I said. Malik's head jerked up and his tail spasmed. His chest started to heave and it was like he was vibrating.

"You love _me?"_ he asked. "I love you too!" I sat down next to him and licked his cheek.

"I'm afraid because I want to be with you forever and this could be our last night," I said. I felt Malik grow hotter and his scent grew stronger and tangy. He licked me back, so delicately it broke my heart. He was the best thing that happened to me in a long, long time, and I couldn't bear the thought of losing him.

"If this is our last night, I want it to count. Give me something to remember you by," I said. I wasn't sure Malik knew what I was getting at, but evidently he was more carnal than I thought. I remembered the lionesses tittering back at our camp and wondered if they would hear the goings-on. If they did, so be it. It's only the Circle of Life.

Once I gave Malik the encouragement, he threw himself into the proceedings. His rough tongue caressed my face and he rubbed against me so firmly he bowled me over onto my side. I licked him back all down his neck and chest, savoring his taste. I thought giddily and wickedly of Scar, begging so hard for what I was about to give to someone else. But the thought lasted only a moment. Scar wasn't important. He wasn't worth my time. I had something so much better.

I burrowed my nose under Malik's chest, nudging him up so I could nestle underneath. I loved his gentle weight above me and the rhythmic rumble of the shallow, quick breaths that filled his chest. He started to haul himself up into position and I shifted, teasing him. Traditionally, the female broke away multiple times and made the male chase her, but I didn't have the patience. I wanted to be closer to him at every second, and I welcomed his approach.

I licked Malik's mane and tugged at it with my teeth, pulling him closer. I wanted him to be so close we would be like one lion. All my life I'd loved to be with my own kind. Life is not to be lived alone. The best thing in the world is to connect with another lion. Excitement and delight thrilled through me as I pressed closer to Malik with every part of me. I savored hs fur against mine and I felt his heartbeat as he hovered over me.

Neither of us knew what the future held, and we lived that night like it was our last. We denied each other nothing and before the night was done, we knew each other like never before. Whatever happened, we would know what it was we had and we would remember each other forever. If we lived, we were far too connected to ever leave each other, and if Malik died tomorrow, I hoped I died with him. My pride could live on, but I didn't want to live without him.


	21. Trickery, Trickery

The sun was setting when I went to meet Scar. The story was that I'd been walking all day and I was close to exhaustion. I'd been wandering for months, surviving on the fringe between the prides. Now, I was too lonely and hungry to run any longer, and I was limping back to Scar to beg for another chance. My fur was mussed and I'd rolled around in mud so my appearance would match my story. I hadn't eaten all day so that I wouldn't smell full, although that was hardly my choice. Whatever Scar had done to the Pridelands, it had obviously driven away anything we could have eaten.

I thought I might run across one of the lionesses on my way to Pride Rock. Instead, I crossed path with a half-dozen hyenas. It was obvious they were out on a patrol. One might have thought they were keeping out intruders, but I knew enough about Scar to know they weren't there to keep anyone out. They were there to keep everyone in. I saw a face I would have been happy to never see again, and she looked equally pleased.

"Well, if it isn't the lost princess. Had enough of exile?" Shenzi asked. Her two stooge friends growled on either side of her.

"My old friend Shenzi. I see you still have your beauty mark," I said, looking at the three scars Simba left on her so long ago. That was how I wanted to remember him- as the hero he used to be. Shenzi growled along with her friends, and for a moment it looked as though they might all spring on me.

"I will see Scar," I said imperiously. "I'm sure he will be glad to see me unharmed." Shenzi took the lead and the other hyenas surrounded me as though they were protecting me, not trying to intimidate me. It would have worked before, but I'd faced down far worse than them since we'd last met. If I wasn't afraid of Scar, I certainly wasn't afraid of them.

Mufasa would have been sitting on Pride Rock, watching over his kingdom. In contrast, we found Scar lurking in the darkness of his cave, next to Zazu inside a skeleton. When he saw me, he played it off like he didn't even care, but I could see right through him. He rose in his most majestic manner and shifted his shoulder slightly so his mane fell more handsomely. The hyenas slunk away.

"Nala. It's good to see you again," he said. I suppose he thought he was charming. The only one Scar ever charmed was himself. I had to remind myself I was supposed to be the starving penitent. I wanted to laugh at him, not plead with him. I stayed quiet, pretending I was too overwhelmed to speak.

"You're home again. I hope you'll stay this time. I've missed you so," he said. "What brought you back?"

"I can't be alone anymore. I need a family," I said pleadingly. I widened my eyes like I was a cute little cub again and wondered if he found it more attractive.

"Of course. We all need a family. And every lioness needs a mate, don't they? You've been alone too long," Scar said. I tucked my tail between my legs.

"I thought you'd have someone else by now. You could have anyone," I said. I backed away a step like I wanted to run.

"A king must have a queen. My duties forbid me from taking anyone but you. And I am pleased to fulfill my role," Scar said. He came closer to me as I backed away, until I was backed against a wall.

"How is Sarafina? Can I see her?" I asked. Anything to change the subject and ward off his advances, just like a scared little cub.

"In due time. But she'll want to see a queen, not a dirty stray," Scar said. I looked at the ground.

"You'll let me stay then? And I can see my mother?" I asked. I breathed shallowly so it looked like I was thinner than I was.

"Of course. Anything for my queen," Scar purred. He bent low before me and touched his nose to my paw. I forced back a shudder. I just had to keep it together until I got to Mwali and the others so I could tell them what was going on. Then Scar would see what was really going on, but it would be too late.


	22. Plan of Attack

I didn't know what to do when I saw Sarafina. Her back was to me, so she didn't see me coming. I knew her right away, but she looked so different. She was so terribly thin, and she'd aged more than I thought possible in the short time I'd been away. Malki was facing her, and she looked over Sarafina's shoulder and saw me coming. She gasped as she jumped up and ran toward me. My legs froze up and I waited as she came. Sarafina looked to see what was going on and saw me just as Mwali crashed into me.

"Nala? What happened? Are you okay? Are you really back?" Mwali asked. She rubbed her face on mine and licked my ear as I sat to gather my thoughts.

"Is it really you?" Sarafina asked. She sat a step away from me and examined me. Malki stepped back and waited as I approached Sarafina.

"It's me. I've missed you so much," I said. I kept looking at her, convinced each time that it was just a dream and I couldn't really be back with my mother. I hadn't realized how much I missed her until I saw her again. I couldn't believe I'd lasted so long without her. I felt like I was going to burst with happiness, but Sarafina's eyes were troubled.

"You should have stayed away. There's nothing here," she said.

"Yeah, why _did_ you come back?" Mwali asked.

"She came crawling back looking for a second chance," Shenzi's obnoxious friend interrupted. Mwali turned and glared at him.

"Shut up, fleabrain," she said. The hyena growled at her and all his friends clustered closer. Mwali stared them down and after a minute, Shenzi's friend spat at the ground and stomped off. The rest of the pack followed and watched us from the distance.

"Come on, let's go inside," I said. We filed into the den and squeezed together in the bag, as close as we could to each other. I felt Mwali and Sarafina breathing on either side of me and relished just being with thema again.

"Where were you? Scar told us you were dead," Mwali said. Sarafina shuddered and pressed closer to me. I remembered someone else I'd thought was dead, and how much it hurt. I didn't think I could hate Scar any more than I already did, but thinking of what Sarafina went through doubled my fury.

"Scar tells a lot of lies," I said. I told them what he'd done that last day, and how I'd had enough. It was the first time I'd ever told Sarafina, but I wasn't embarrassed anymore. I knew what she'd think, and I was right.

"Why didn't you tell me? I'm so sorry," she said.

"It was a long time ago. I know better now, and I know what to do now. He won't be hurting anyone anymore," I said.

"What are you going to do?" Mwali asked.

"I brought some friends," I said. I explained about Malik and the others. It was hard to talk when I was full of a million different emotions, and it took a long time to get the story out. Mwali smirked like I'd never been gone.

"I'm not there for five minutes and you run off and get a boyfriend," she said.

"It was longer than five minutes!" I said.

"What's the plan? Whatever it is, I'm in," Mwali said. I saw how thin she was and vacillated between horror at her condition and excitement at her enthusiasm. All the other lionesses must have looked just like her. They'd fight with everything they had, but we had such a fearsome enemy. I wished I was as confident as she was.

"Malik and the others are waiting on the edges of the Pridelands. I came in to tell you what was going on and get you organized. When it gets dark, the others are going to make a diversion. While the hyenas are distracted, we'll sneak the cubs and anyone who can't fight out to somewhere safe. After that, Malik and his lions will meet us and we'll drive the hyenas away. How many cubs are there?" I asked. _Has Scar been giving you any trouble?_ My real question went unasked.

"There haven't been any cubs since you left. We all thought Scar would take someone else as his mate, but he said we were all beneath him," Mwali said. "It's just Paka and Duma."

 _That will make things easier._ Once the other lionesses came back from their hunt and we told them about the plan, I could give Malik the symbol and everything would start. I was so excited my skin was crawling. I wished I could forget about everything and just make up for lost time with Mwali and Sarafina. I worried about what was coming and what could go wrong. I'd just gotten my mother back after far too long an absence. She was so thin and frail. I hoped I could convince her to stay with the cubs, but I knew she'd want to be with me to keep me safe. I already felt guilty about leaving Mwali with Scar, and I'd never be able to forgive myself if anything happened to her.

Then there was Malik. He seemed so strong and indomitable. If he got hurt, I wasn't sure any of us could keep our courage. He looked so mighty, but I knew he hated fighting. He was risking everything for me, and I would never feel worth it. So much depended on me. I never wanted any of that responsibility. It was thrust upon me, and I hoped I could bear it for all of us.


	23. Battle For Pride Rock

The sun was starting to set. The sky was overcast, and rain started to fall lightly. We were all edgy and tense, and I hoped the hyenas didn't notice. Some of the other lionesses had gone out on a "hunting party", and they were due back any time. I, of course, wasn't allowed to go out and hunt. I was stuck under Pride Rock waiting while Scar preened and pretended to be busy until he was ready to come and claim his spoils.

Tarishi came running up, and the hyenas looked up with hopeful expressions.

"We found a wounded wildebeest. The others are taking it down," she said. Ostensibly she was telling me, but she said it loud enough for the hyenas to hear. They started to cackle and ran off to steal the booty. Mwali stood up to give the symbol. I would have given it myself, but the most visible symbol was for a lion to stand on Pride Rock. If I went up there, right in front of Scar's lair, I'd be asking for trouble. Mwali sat on the edge of the rock for a second, like she was trying to see the hunting party, and then came back down.

It wasn't long before I saw Malik and the others creeping up perpendicular to Pride Rock. Scar wouldn't be able to see them approach as long as he didn't leave his lair, but of course we wouldn't be able to hide them long. My heart leapt when I saw them coming, and for the first time, I felt confident about our mission. Compared to my pride and the hyenas, they looked robust and full of strength. Nothing could stand up to them.

"Hey, who's that?" Paka asked. "Why are they all furry?"

"Look at that one! He's twice as big as Scar!" Duma said when she saw Malik. We hadn't told them the plan, in case they gave it away.

"These lions are from another pride. They're here to visit. You two get to be the first to see their camp. We wanted it to be a surprise," Sarafina said.

"Really? Cool!" Paka said. He and Duma ran toward Malik's pride, who were tucked around a corner of Pride Rock. Laith gathered up the oldest lionesses.

"Are you ready?" Mwali asked, but I could never be ready. The plan was to confront Scar and get him to leave the Pridelands. With all this backup it should have been easy, but I knew it wouldn't be. Scar might leave, maybe even without any trouble, but we wouldn't be free of him. He'd be out there, plotting and waiting for the right moment. As long as he was alive, we wouldn't be safe. I knew what I had to do to keep my pride safe. I didn't want to, and I wasn't even sure I could. I couldn't share something like that with Malik. He valued life and hated violence. He couldn't help me.

"Hey!" an indignant cry came from behind us, and we all froze. I turned around and saw scores of glittering eyes as the hyenas approached. Shenzi was leading them, and she didn't look happy.

"What is this? There wasn't any wildebeest out- oh," she said when she saw Malik. She opened her mouth to warn Scar and Mwali pounced on her. Shenzi's two friends pounced on Mwali, and then I pounced on them. In seconds, the air was filled with the roars of lions and the shrieks and laughter of hyenas. It was total chaos, and Scar couldn't have missed it. He popped out of his lair and looked down on the scene with a mixture of surprise and calculation. I could see him trying to figure out what to do next. He stayed safely on top of Pride Rock, far from the danger below. He was a coward, and we didn't have to worry about him joining the battle.

Three hyenas were no match for two lionesses. Shenzi and her friends backed off without much resistance and merged into the pack, sniping at whatever lionesses they could.

I saw Malik running back and forth between whatever lions were getting attacked and roaring at their attackers. The hyenas scattered before him, to no one's surprise. He wasn't actually attacking anyone, just warning them. I knew how much he hated fighting. It wasn't supposed to happen like this, and even though everything changed in an instant, I was already planning how to end it quickly.

Two skeletal hyenas advanced on Paka and Duma, laughing and drooling. Duma hissed at them and Paka squawked. Malik whirled around at the noise and burst into action when he saw what was going on. He swatted one of the hyenas so hard it flipped over and landed brokenly. He seized the other in his jaws and shook it back and forth like a stick until it dangled loosely from his mouth. The nearby hyenas yipped and whimpered as they fled. Malik gathered the cubs underneath him and herded them closer to the older lionesses. He patrolled around them and drove away any hyenas that ventured too close.

The action slowed around me. Seconds crawled by as I watched the carnage. Mwali was beside me and we watched each others' backs as we fought. I knew the fastest way to end the battle wasn't down here. I found Laith and fought my way over to her. Mwali followed.

"Look out for each other. I'm going to get Scar," I said. Before they could protest, I left. I climbed up the slope on the side of Pride Rock, kicking at the hyenas that trailed me. I could see Scar at the top watching me. He was about to get what he'd wanted for so long, and he was going to regret it.


	24. Hero's Journey

Thunder cracked as I ran toward Scar. I could hear Mwali and Laith trying to battle their way toward me. As they reached the bottom of Pride Rock, lightning struck a tree behind me. The tree burst into flames and fell across the slope, blocking me and Scar off from the rest of the battle. The smoke blocked my view of the top. I knew what to expect, and I wasn't wrong. I strained my ears and jumped back just as Scar tried to hit me from the side. I swept around him and positioned myself in the middle of Pride Rock, away from the wall or the edge. Scar sat down and smiled at me.

"Isn't this adorable? You brought friends. Well, I have friends too. And a lot of yours are going to hurt if you don't stop this," he said.

"It's too late for that. It's been too late for a long time," I said. When I looked at Scar and thought of everything he'd done, I wasn't afraid anymore. I was only mad. I wished I had reached that point before, and I was determined that he wouldn't hurt anyone else.

"Whatever has become of you? You used to be so accommodating. You've turned savage since you left," Scar said.

"I'm done with you. The others think we're here to drive you away. That's not it. I'm here to make sure we never see you again," I said. Scar was still pretending we were chatting lightly over a new kill. He stood up and took a step closer.

"And what if I don't? You're going to kill me?" he asked. As the last word left his mouth, I launched myself at him. I saw his surprise flicker into fear. He stepped aside and I raked my claws down his side and darted back. He snarled and his expression hardened into anger.

"This is treason. You need to learn respect for your king," he said. His claws slid out.

"You were never king," I said. Scar growled and jumped at me. I ducked under his blow and hooked my claws into his stomach. He rolled over onto me, using his greater weight to his advantage. I scrabbled for purchase on the stone beneath him and wriggled out.

I backed away and evaluated my strategy. Scar was heavier than I was, and his reach was longer. His mane made it nearly impossible to strike at his throat. However, Scar had his weak points. He'd never had to fight. He'd never even had to hunt his own food. Spoiled prince Scar lazed around Pride Rock and made his plans without ever having to care for himself. I'd fought for my life against lions with twice his ferocity. I'd run down antelope and torn the life from them. I knew how to fight. Scar was smart, but I had to be smarter.

I knew Scar's blows would have more force if he struck downward, so I attacked high. I leapt onto his back. When he twisted so I'd overshoot him, I bit into his cheek and draped myself across his head. My weight kept him from using one leg, and the other couldn't reach me. He flopped onto his side, but I kept tearing at his face, aiming for his eye.

He twisted his spine around and bit the side of my neck. I knew he hadn't hit my vitals, since blood didn't gush out, so I held on. We were both biting each other, but I'd taken a lot more pain in my life than he had. I clenched my jaws and dragged my teeth through his flesh until he let go and retreated. His face was smeared with blood, and I could see he was starting to take the fight seriously.

"I offer you everything and you throw it away?" he spat at me. His voice was tight and hoarse from the pain and the damage I'd done.

"You didn't give me anything. All you do is take," I said. With speed I didn't know he possessed, he pounced at me and knocked me over backwards. I landed on my back and he jumped on top of me.

"It's not too late," he purred in my ear. "Don't be so hasty." I arched my back and tucked my hind legs under him. I kicked out and scored a pair of gashes in his belly. He roared in pain and I kicked him off. He staggered back to the edge of the cliff, trailing blood. I could see from the amount of blood pouring from him that the wounds were serious, possibly mortal. Scar's body language told me he'd realized the same thing. His ears were flattened, and he cringed back with dilated pupils.

"You can't do this! You can't hurt me! I'm... I'm your old friend!" he pleaded, and his voice rose with fear. "It's the hyenas that are the real enemy. It's their fault. It was their idea." He looked over the edge of Pride Rock at the battle below. I was out of his reach, so I glanced after him to see how things were progressing. When I did, I saw that Scar had just beaten himself almost as effectively as I'd beaten him.

Shenzi was bent over a lioness who was bleeding from one side and could barely stand. She could have finished her off without much difficulty, but instead she was staring at Scar with indignant anger. She looked over at her two friends, who had also paused in their fighting. She yelled something at the hyenas and they gathered in a cluster around her. The lionesses stared after them in confusion and started to gather themselves up, tending to the wounded and checking to make sure the hyenas hadn't moved.

"What were you saying about friends?" I asked. Scar, who was still looking down at them, started to tremble. He gathered himself up and turned back to me.

"Get out of here, Scar. Get out and never come back," I said. He looked at me and back at the hyenas, his expression flitting through emotions as he tried to find a way out. His gaze shot fire at me as he started to slink away.

"Yes. Of course. Your majesty!" his voice rose into a snarl as he curled his paw and flung a pile of cinders into my eyes. I felt him slam into me while I was still blinded and I twisted underneath him, exposing my belly in a calculated risk. He reared back to bite my throat and I lunged forward, flipping over him like I'd done to Simba so long ago. As he hit the ground and I landed on top of him, I crunched my jaws together on either side of his back, just below his mane. I felt his spine snap under my teeth and tasted the watery fluid that always flooded my mouth when I killed prey.

I didn't need to be careful when I stood up. Scar's body was dead below my bite. His eyes were wide with shock and his mouth gasped weakly for breath. He twitched lightly and I heard the air sucking as he tried to say something. He looked so powerless I almost pitied him. I wondered if I'd looked the same to him all those years ago. I wondered if I looked as terrified and desperate as he was. I watched King Scar twitch his life away and wished it had come sooner.


	25. Regina Leo

The moment Scar died, the clouds broke open. It was like the very Circle of Life had rejected Scar, and life could resume now that he was gone. The last of the rain doused the remaining flames around Pride Rock, and silence reigned on the battlefield. The lionesses below looked up at me. I saw Sarafina and my friends among them, with wounds no more serious than a couple of gashes. I knew they were waiting for some great speech or action, but I didn't know what to say. Instead, I just roared. I stood over Scar's body and roared into the sky. All the lionesses echoed me, and our cries rang out into the night.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Shenzi and the other hyenas. They were clustered to the side of Pride Rock, chattering to themselves and looking at me. I found Shenzi's gaze and looked at her pointedly. She barked at me and turned, summoning the others to follow her away from the Pridelands. The lionesses watched them go and glanced at me to see if I would signal an attack, but I stayed silent. Zazu landed on a rock beside me.

"What are we going to do now?" I asked. As much as we used to tease him, Zazu knew more about how the pride ran than anyone but Mufasa.

"The king is dead. Long live the queen," he said.

"What? Me?!" I said, but I didn't have time to discuss it further. Malik and the others were streaming up Pride Rock, and they filled the platform around me.

"You did it. You killed Scar," Mwali said. She and the other lionesses piled around me. Some of them kicked at Scar's body, and others just celebrated. I saw Malik waiting politely behind them and broke through the crowd, butting my head across his cheek.

"You're okay," I said.

" _You're_ okay," he said. I turned back to the lionesses, who were already whispering amongst themselves.

"We have to rebuild. But we have no king," I said. I snuck a peek at Malik. It was crazy to think he'd say anything. He had his own pride to lead.

" _You_ lead us," Mwali said.

"I can't lead you! I don't know anything about leading a pride," I said. They needed someone who knew what they were doing. _Zazu_ would be a better king than me.

"We want _you_ ," Tarishi said.

"We want the peace lion. You brought us peace," said another.

"I came back and started a war!" I protested.

"But now there's peace," Mwali insisted. "Look, even the sky wants you. The sun is out. It's a sign." The lionesses looked at the open sky and added their agreement.

"This is ridiculous. Tell them I can't lead. You're an actual king," I said to Malik. He smiled maddeningly and bowed.

"Sorry. I couldn't tell a queen what to do," he said. I nudged him back up.

"What do you think you're doing? You stop that!" I said.

"Whatever the queen demands," Malik said. I pretended not to hear him.

"We have more important things to do. Is anyone hurt? Is everyone accounted for? Where are the cubs?" I asked.

"They're right there," Laith said, and she poked her tail in the direction of the four cubs, who were pretending to attack a dead hyena. The other lionesses set to work moving the fallen tree aside and dragging away the fallen hyenas. I moved among them, helping them get things in order. They listened for my orders and looked to me when they didn't know what to do. And then I knew. Like it or not, I was the queen.


	26. Epilogue

I never could have predicted anything that happened. For so long, Scar had been my greatest fear and my worst dread. I never would have thought I could kill him. I never would have thought the others would make my queen, over my most sincere protests. I never would have thought I would stand atop Pride Rock and look down at a pride of lions who looked to me for guidance and leadership.

The one predictable part about it all was Malik. He insisted that he and his lions had to stay until everything was sorted out with my pride. They stayed as the wounded among us healed and the land healed with us. Sooner than I thought possible, the savannah was green again, and the prey returned in abundance. It returned in such abundance that when it came time for Malik's pride to return to their home, they didn't want to.

"The land is better here. The sun is cooler, and the prey is fatter," Laith said. For once, even Munazi agreed. Of course, I was overjoyed. I'd been dreading the day Malik would leave and ruing the moment I let the others make me queen. If I'd been a normal lion, I would have been agonizing over whether to go with him or stay with my friends and Sarafina, but being a queen removed that decision. But then Laith and the others removed the problem entirely. Ostensibly, I was the queen of my pride and Malik was the king of his, but he hardly ever weighed in on royal matters. He preferred to play with the cubs and patrol the border, ever vigilant about the safety of his charges.

When the battle was behind us and we'd all started to heal, I told Sarabi about Simba. She left immediately to see him and I made up a cover story. She stayed away for some months, and I was glad to give her the time she and Simba needed. When she came back, she would help me decide what to tell the others. If Simba chose to come back with her, we would welcome him. He had his flaws, but he was my friend. I knew he wouldn't want anything to do with being king. If he wanted to see his old home again, I'd be glad to see him.

My first spring back home brought my my three first cubs. As soon as they came out, Malik retired from being king. We all knew he'd never liked it. His lionesses thanked him for years of leadership, merged into my pride, and let him relax into what he'd wanted all along. As soon as the sun was up, we could always find him romping with his cubs and all the others.

As for me, I grew used to being queen. Malik wouldn't have abdicated if he thought I still didn't want to be queen. The responsibilities weighed on me, but in peacetime they were lighter. Every day I grew less worried and more confident. I was never afraid to ask for advice, and I gravitated toward Malik's inclusive style of leadership over Mufasa's. Perhaps in time, as I grew more knowledgeable, I could be more independent, but the others all had wisdom to offer.

Most of all, I knew I didn't have to worry. I could do anything. I could fight off a predatory lion and fend for myself in the wild. I could save my pride and defeat my childhood nightmare. I didn't have to be afraid of anything, especially with Malik at my side. I'd changed, and I'd grown. I started out as a peace offering, back when I was a scrap of a cub. With Simba, I was a sidekick and a playmate. On my own, I was a survivor. With Malik, I was greater than I was alone. After it all, I was greater than all those parts. I was all those and more.

I was a lion queen.


End file.
